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OCT 29 1894 



IP /MADE BY 

WYCES^iG Weeklies 



$-/3¥^- 



TH E SATURDAY BIADE) 



TOE CHIGA60 LED6ER [500,000 weekIy 



THE CHICAGO WORLD 






CHICAGO, ILL. 







' OI'VKJCKT, 1S94, 

U-, WII 1,1 AM D. BOYCE. 

ALL KICIITS RESER\'ED. 



K. K. DONNELLEY & SONS CO., CHICAGO 



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INTRODUCTION. 

A glance at the pieseiitatioii payc will reveal the fact that the puli- 
li>~her has not issued this volume for re\enue oulv, nor foi" protection, hut 
principally for the good of tiie fraternity. Close inspection of the tints 
and texts of tlie turning leaves, which haxe been pressed into use for better 
preservation, mav prove most jsleasant and profitable to the leader; pleasant 
because the artistic illustrations bring to mind pictures of free out-door 
recreation, and profitable because business mav be increased bv adopting 
the suggestions made so ]5lain that "e\eii he who runs ma\' read." 

It was one of the modern pliilosophers who asserted that " nothing 
succeeds like success," and judged b\' this standard the ]3ublisher and ])re- 
senter of the present volume i-- truU a successful man. He ll<iuiishe> a 
Blade more popular and powerful than the ancient " blade of Damascus," 
and no publisher of the present dav can show a brighter or better LiiDGEit 
than the one wdnich comes from his office. Mr. Bovce might not be 
willing to stand forth and make this just claim in his own behalf, but the 
editor of this work merely admits a well-known fact and violates no con- 
fidence in dischising this open >eci'et to all the world and the rest of 
mankind. 

Having given credit ;o whom cieilit is due ni ijiis resjject, the w riter 
hastens to acknowledge his obligations to several of the standard authorities 
on American fiekl sports anil fishing for material aid in preparing this vol- 
ume. To Isaac McLellan, the ]5oet-s]-)ortsman, due credit should be gi\-en 
for most of the stanzas introducing the \ariiiiis ilescripti\e sketches of the 
game fishes, animals and birds of the United States. These poetical selec- 
tions are, for the most part, taken from McLellan's excellent •' Poems of 
the Rod and Gun," a book of rare interest to anglers and sportsmen. 

The well-known treatise, entitled " American (iame Fishes," and the 
jM-actical book, " Fishes of the East Atlantic Coast," by Messrs. Louis O. 
\'an Doren and .Samuel C. Clarke, veteran anglers, have likewise fur- 
nished valuable matter, for which proper acknowledgment has been made 
elsewhere undei" the several heads or chapters where the writers abo\e 
named are (|Uoted. 



Ill the arrangement of the subject-matter the wi'iter has been guided 
principally by the directions of the publisher — whose instructions to author, 
artist and printer, were to spare neither time, labor or expense in the pre- 
paration of a book to grace the library of the sportsman, the angler and 
the man of business. 

It has been the belief of Air. W. D. Bovce that a valuable work of 
reference, combining the information hitherto attainable only by possession 
of a sporting library, could be produced in attractive form, for the benefit 
of busy men who have neither time nor inclination to make extensive 
research for such facts. 

The " Fish Tales " and " Hunters' Yarns," taken in moderation, with 
spirited illustrations, ad lib., may serve as a prescription to drive away the 
blues. Such, at least, is the design of the publisher and his fellow con- 
spirator — F. E. Pond. 

PUBLISHER'S NOTE. 

In the compiling and publishing of this little work I wish to ackno\»'l- 
edgethe valuable services of Fred E. Pond, (Will Wildwood) the Secre- 
tary of the National Game and Fish Pi'otective Association of the United 
States, who compiled, under my direction, the matter herein contained. 
Also that of Wm. H. Schmedtgen, the well-known artist, whose work 
herein speaks for itself and will be praised by all who see it. The com- 
position, make-up, press-work and binding has been done b}' my valued 
friend and former partner, Mr. R. R. Donnelley, who stands as the leading 
artist-printer in Chicago. 

The true cause for the publication of this book is to afford us an 
opportunity to compliment our friends and show them that we will not 
allow them to forget us. Truly 

W. D. BOYCK. 






CONTENTS. 



REMARKS ON ANQLINQ. 

History of Angling, Writers, etc., . - . . 9-21 

GAME FISHES. 

Fresh Water Fishes, ...... 22-40 

Salt Water Fishes, ...... 41-5- 

FISH TALE.S. 

A Series of Remarkable Stories by \vell-knovvn Adver- 
tisers, Advertising Agents, Railroad Men, etc., (illustrated) 52-84 

HUNTING YARNS. 

Adventures, Anecdotes, Reminiscences, etc., as told by per- 
sons whose names will be recognized by all who scan the 
Advertising Colimns of Newspapers, |illu>trated) - - S,S-92 

FISHING BY STATES. 

Resor IS IN Northern, .Sol thern, Eastern and Western .States, 93.98 

FISHING BY nONTHS. * 

Seasons when to Fish th best Advantage, - - - 99-101 

HUNTING. 

Foiir-Footed Game, ...... 105-112 

WATER FOWL. 

FiEi.ii Birds, - - - - - ' - - 115-120 




THREE OF A KIND." 



It is said that the fishei'man, general advertiser and newspaper man 
are " three of a kind." This I have always been told beats " two pair."' 
The reason, however, I understand, they are entered in the same class, is 
not so much because they do not always stick to the truth, but because 
the}' are not always believed. 

Seriously, there is a great deal of the same makeup in the true 
sportsman and angler, plucky advertiser and hustling newspaper man. 
The fisherman must often wait and make many casts before he gets 
" a strike " — the general advertiser often casts his bread upon the waters 
for years before it returns to him one hundred fold — the publisher must 
keep everlastingly hustling or sink out of sight. Long waiting and 
patience is a necessary characteristic of the " three of a kind." Quick 
results are secured by advertising in Boycc's Big Weeklies. 



REMARKS ON ANGLING. 



*'A taper rod, a slender line, 

A bait to tempt the tishes. 
And in the shade of oak or pine 
One may the wicked world resign 

And all its sinful wishes." 

"A gamy tight, a landed prize, 

Perhaps a bass to mention, 
And tho' the world may advertise 
'Twill never out of art devise 

A parallel in\ention." 

" O wearied souls that sigh for peace 
And search the town, e'er failing. 
Here is unwatered bliss to lease, 
With interest beginning to increase — 

'west' winds pre\"ailing." 

Liiglini^ is probal)l\- the most ;incicnt of oiit- 
^•^greations. In the Apostolic davs Peter 
I go a-fishing," and his brother disciples 
spoiided, " we also, will go with thee." Before 
the dawn of the Christian era angling was 
enjoyed as a pastime, though it had not de\eloped 
into a profound science. When the Divine hand 
brought order out of chaos, created the earth, and 
apportioned to the surface three-fourths water 
and one-fourth of dr\' land, the relative importance of fish- 
ing as compared with the sports of the field, was forevei' 
fixed and can scarcely be questioned. It has been said in 
favor of angling that " it is a one-handed game, that 
woidd have suited Adam himself ; it is the onlyone by 
which Noah could have amused himself in the ark," and these truths 
seem self-evident. 

Of ancient angling, as practiced b^' the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the 
Romans, and other races of ye olden time, little need be said in this volume. 
It mav be safely assumed that the majority of fishers in that past age 
fished for food, not for pleasure. The angling appliances of the ancients 
were so crude and coarse — as evidenced by the relics of this kind pre- 
served in various museums — that it would be ridiculous to term their 
method of fishing a " gentle art." Sinews and strings of raw-hide were 
the ordinary fishing lines, and the hooks were roughly formed of bone or 
metal. Respect for the reputation of the good and great men who inhab- 
ited the earth when it was comparatively new, prevents modern authors 








on angling" from entertaining a belief that 
the fishes of old were caught "b)^ maiif^ 
strength and ignorance," and the same re\«r-',-^^>,« 
ence for antiquity will of course banish tliejw 
satirical deiinition of old-time ang- 
ling as " a stick and a string, witli-' 
a fish at one end and a fool at;,-|j^^ 
other." The writer willygnl^tjS^ 
the statement, however, thatrthtu, 
anglers of ancient days .jsafrled ^ 
more live, natural flies thfiii ijr^ficial oneg^jB^iitg their fishing excursions. 
In the legends and lyrics preserved— cz<?« Sgrano sails — from the past, 
refei'ences are made to mighty mythical anglers, worthy of a place at the 
camp fire or in the club rooms of the modern association of Angling 
Ananiases. Of one of those old worthies it was said: 

"He baited his hook with dragons' tails, 
And sat on a rock and bobbed for whales." 

It is a pleasure to turn from the famous and the fabulous fishers of the 
dim past, to the anglers and angling of a more recent period. Foremost 
in the literature of angling stands that quaint and pleasing volume, " The 
Compleat Anglei"," written by Izaak Walton, whose tercentenary was 
celebrated quietl}' and appropriately, August 9, 1893, at the Walton 
Cottage — a unicjue building, modeled after his famous fishing lodge on the 
River Dove^— and it is worthy of note that the great fly-casting tourna- 
ment, held September 31, .'893, within the enclosure of the World's 
Columbian Exposition, was contested on the lagoon in front of the same 
cosy cot which had been erected there in honor of the world-renowned 
angler and author. 

It is a singular fact, though entirely in harmony with the eternal 
fitness of things, that the earliest published treatise on the gentle art of 
angling was written b_v one of the gentle sex, Dame Juliana Berners, 
whose " Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle," issued in the year 1496, 
antedated the work of our beloved Izaak moi'e than one hundred and fifty 
years. The instructions given b}' the venerable Dame are more ciu'ious 
than concise or correct, as applied to the wants of scientific devotees of rod 
and reel in the nineteenth century, but it must be borne in 
mind that America had not been disco\ered when Juliana 
Berners wrote her book, and the lady, although celebrated 
for her learning and accomplishments, had not the gift of 
prophecy to foretell of fish and fishing in the (then) unknown 
but now "Universal Yankee Nation." 



^fV^oT^G ■ 




Althoiiijh the piccejits of the quaint treatise appear antiquated and 
aminiu"' to a degree, nearly all tlevoted lovers of ansrling will heartilv aerree 
with the feminine philosophv enilxidied in the statement that manv miseries 
attend the sports of hunting, hawking, antl fowling, and '"dowteles thenne 
folowvth it, that it must nedes he the dvsporte of f)-sshynge wvth an 
angle that causeth a long Ivfe and a merv." The conclusion thus drawn 
mav not be satisfactory, nor the reasons clear to a field sportsman, hut they 
are ample for the angling brotherhood. 

Following down the line of famous English authors, from the days 
of Walton to the jiresent time, it will be found that most of the immortals 
have published pleasant \\ ords relating to fishing as a pastime, and Sir 
Humphrey Davy gave to the world evidence of his love for the theme 
by writing that admirable work, "Salmonia, or Days of Flv Fishing;" 
while Prof. John Wilson (the inimitable "Christopher North") in his 
SVoctes Ambrosianae^ recorded some of the most attractive observations 
on angling in the whole range of modern literature. 

In America several prominent literary men of the past half century 
have delighted the fishing fraternity with angling books and essaj's. Dr. 
Geo. W. Bethune, the great divine, found time amid his more serious 
labors, to prepare an elaborate American edition of W^alton's Complete 
Angler, and Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, diplomat and scholar, has written 
several volumes on fishing as entertaining and instructive in their way 
as are the thrilling works by his nephew, — the gifted Theodore Roose- 
velt — descriptive of the wild sports of the West. The well-earned fame 
of Charles Lanman rests equally upon his achievements as artist and 
angling author ; while IIenr\- William Herbert, the classical scholar and 
novelist, is best rememl)sred under the name of " Frank Forester," his 
works on fishing and field sports taking high rank at the present da}-, 
though his historical romances, upon which he believed his literary repu- 
tation must depend, are nearly forgotten by the reading public. 

It is e\ ident that a pastime which holds tfee attention ai^d warm 
admiration of scholarly men must have much-^"%onj;neiid — ^iivncli that 
" passeth the understanding" of those who ha;i'teV!ri:e'|icf''f :***'* '^C cfcslre, to 
go a-fishing. The familiar adage, "spare the[ rod'-aT; 'his ^hiRI" 

has been misunderstood and the rod misapp,li\ '. 
for many generations past. The proper r«jtr£ai 
the youth, in most cases, is not the bircl^ib^^h* ■ 
bamboo, and this should be gently -'placfccl ii 
the hand of the young student, witlvrjailicji'ii-^ 
instructions as to the best times and pla<S3r£jfer.t 
conning his new lines, concluding - wit^^tite 



■% 




*--rS^ff'. 



injunction that he must never allow his fly book to cause 
neglect of his scliool books. 

Man}' born anglers have been driven almost to des-~ 
peration, their minds and bodies suffering from the afore- 
said misapplication of the rule and the rod. Give the 
schoolboy a good hook and line and rod, with occasional 
holidaj's for their use, and if he is of the right sort he 
will not " pla}- hookey," nor will he miss his lines, or 
require the use of the rod in the school room. If parents 
and pedagogues would learn that there are times in the training 
of boys ^vhen a rod in the hand is worth two on the back, and 
that there are valuable lessons in the running brooks as well as in 
books, the world would be better and brighter. 

Recreation is not merely amusement and relief from toil. In 
its best form — as for example, in angling — recreation literally re- 
creates both mind and bodj- ; mental troubles vanish and bodily ills 
mvsteriouslj' depart under the soothing influence of the forest 
shade and the pleasant song of the brook. Nature is the true 
healer, and the fishing rod is a magic wand to be waved over the 
waters, for mortal man will never come nearer the perennial Fount- 
ain of Youth than when he stands upon the brink of some crystal 
trout pool, or close to a circling eddy, where the salmon leaps. 

Any angler can vouch for the fact that it is not all of fishing 
to fish. The alternate effects of sun and shade, the sights and sounds 
along sylvan shores, the balmy breeze, the odors of pine and balsam and 
the wild flowers of the wilderness — all these and a thousand other things 
only incidentally connected with fishing bring health and happiness to 
the ardent angler. In the words of Sir Edgerton Brydges : 

"It is a mingled rapture, and we find 
The bodilj spirit mounting to the mind." 

No other out-door pastime is so free from noise, turmoil and con- 
fusion; so calm and peaceful, m the intervals or interludes of the 
play — the periods between expectation and realization — when the chirp 
(if the -cncket and the carol of birds relieve rather than break the 
-tj "silence, EUld the angler rejoices in moments of meditation, 
oi quietl) communes with the silent voices of Nature. 
1 11 Ills pleasant ballad entitled The Angler's Song, quaint 
I 111 1/ Wa. — as he signs himself at the end of the Epistle 
Dt<Jicatoi} of the " Compleat Angler" — the charm of 
fishing as a contemplative pastime is thus set forth : 





Of recreation there is none 
.So free as fishinij; is alone ; 
All other pastimes do no less 
Than mind and bodv both possess; 
iM\- hand alone mv work can do, 
So I can fish and stiid\- too. 




13 



^ 



:k 




In an entertaining essay on the pleasures 
of angling, the late " Harry Fernwood" ga^■e 
the follo%\ ino- comments on the theory and 
practice : .."And so these men, whose teaeh- 
ings I would emulate, wore awa\' their days 
.tranquilly intO:,th^, iiineties. They saw theii- 
fellows pursuing intangil')le spectres — the 
curse of avarice, and the sham happiness of 
wealth, under which, in the.^h.eyday of man- 
hood, they sank out of sight and recollection. 
Not that it is foUj- to get riches. The acquire- 
ment of fortune is all very well if not taken 
m exchange for health, which is at all odds the greatest 
of iiches, of comforts, and of blessings. * * * The 
human s^'Stem is like a bow, which, in oi'der to preserve 
the tension, must be relaxed occasionally, and which becomes a worthless 
thing when its elasticitv is no longer apparent. 

" Why should Dame Juliana Berners write a work on angling? 
Because she found a charm in it. Nor is she wanting in admirers of 
her sex these five centuries past. On all my jaunts I meet the fairer 
patrons of the craft. And j^roper it is for them — far better for their future 
health than to become, like their fashionable sisters, listless, wan and 
flounced for show, dozing away the genial warmth of a summer daj", 
invoking the ' tedious ' hours on speed, and then to vex with mirth the 
drowsy ear of night, toying with fan and ammoniacal salts to coax the 
senses back. 

" ' To me more dear, congenial to my heart, 
One native charm, than all the gloss of art.'" 

" When fatigued and worn by the cares of a sedentary profession I 
have stolen av\^av from the sultry town to some clear lake or stream, where 
the dandelion flecked the new-made green, and the blossomed orchards were 
fair to see. The sweet notes of the first birds of spring have cheered me 
on the way, and mj' lure has gently rippled the glassy pool ere yet the blue 
smoke was curling from the cottage tops. I have known the struggle with 
the wiry genii of the stream, the sensations which thrilled my every nerve 
when the hook was seized. The fears of losing the fish, and the hope of 
safely landing him a prey to artful skill — the quietude of mind and rest of 
body I have experienced in a day so spent, ha\ c altogether made me equal 
to many an exigencj' of the dail}' ''dm^.io^ •*%/'/ 

task. And that is why I am an 
angler." 




r 




William '^^r^' Porter, Ntainiliariy knt>wii ^as 1' \'orl<^ 
itor and fo,iinclei>of Ihe first spoitsii«i6fiy*]Winial in K 



.-id^feto..^ 



Tall Son," (the 
editor and foiuider^of Ihe first sports,a\a^iy*]%ir\ial in Aiju;cica,4^u^ilished 
many years ag^o ,^ series qf^descfiplive essays -©n-' angling, his favorite 
pastime. The folkrwing^extrnMiy^fe taken^lpa^v tbS-iketches, which origi- 
nally appea/ed ii^ that ra<e and-^ril>hlnt}r-^ej^<lical. Porter's old Spirit of 
the Tiir^es ; ' .^f//// 



and arises 
-tte;'^iOSt xliSictiit, the jriost- 
S^ the ntpSt jgJisiSmg^i^^::; 
^gJigg. — To (a^iVl 



" Ulv-fishing -^ias b^en (fesi^Sa*' 




tiie angler's craft, and iininn,Ml<'maXT 

e^egaiiK and td inen^ei tas|fc,-lDy'mj'ii! 

/plefusant -j^iode ,6f"'' ■'^' '■' ' -^ST 

. a tr.oxif of tlircc, 




/ wei^h)', finH 'Son)'6--;i^'J 

r a^ hook aliijtost hn-i:''' 

; 1 i ne '4i s t] e 1 icate ^TiF /J 

hair fj'ojri the ra:>;,enX/| 

ain sylphiana' \'<iA\h\ 

t h a-n- it' ft a n<S(e'fU; ■ "| 

^ 'inent l-_pq,un-i»xg^0O/' 




-j^^^omvptfrse pounds 
// -^trmes heavier, with 
visible, with a gut^ 
itifuLaf^Jngle 
jii^^^esTjf a mount- 
rod not heavier 
hip,'is an achieve- 
little presence of 
-ffrritrdeeajiot give 
we 



mind,riinfited;fe;cbJsUmnT , ^, ^~ ,.=..^_i , 

you s^mfe Very pretty pali>itati"n>i of the bq>u-t;|y4he;pesrforjmitncgj ma}' 
nevei" wet a Hii'«f,in.,\^,Hlv-t();(^eo/|f<^'j>J<y^j0; S^iiSqueliamia; 

Fly-flshin|5 rg^'nii-'e? *naiiv -ipjwi-aV>lttKiUi'tes):%pong Whic^^ clTJefly 
be enumerated, a liijlu afiw fles^Hle h?tnH antl afteiv « 4^'*J*" e^^^i and one 
that caijf 'sijuint sti^^t/ vfc^tmfo^i,, c^^ extreme ytl^'Cacy 



touch. 

, " From '^le; f(^i^» Mi^it^^eY 
of : thc/Ken)iL'bef, a)td in 'tbe~ 
St. J/stwrejiicc^ tri'iut tisl,iiiifi' mtij^ffi 



'/k 



«(! 



utmost p&i-iem<j^f/W<i'^^ hav 

is not ui!)ti! the cowslip hiVS-iftutCniS golden smi 
your ■Qiir^aic ;iaUited witk^e ™i[nfil notes of th 
'ephsm^VA' or May-B^Tis seen (tcrurl 
6vc/r the surface of the streanvWmcF 
i'nfo existence, that trout,al'e ' initratej 
'the flv. You may see' them lurkiutr ' 
^New England ; while on Long IsUnd, he that cajinot kill a few brace 



iijg into the 

•iin^June) in the 

i^fiereJieard, that it 

i^^ieadovvs, and 

rFparrow; when the 

anton 

ght it 

Hfion,' ,and rise freel}' to 

ii-e!Qfion in the ponds of 





at the close of a summer afternoon, or befere the sun gets up, should not 
be allowed to wet a line." 

"The gray and green drake, which nearest resemiile the Mav-flv, 
succeed it in their season, and are equally welcomed b}' 'Johnny Trout.' 
The palvier family follow in order, and may be used throughout the 



15 




,^rr. 



-/r 




A taper rod, a slender line, 

A bait to tempt the fishes, 
And in the shade of oak or pine 



One may the wicked world resign 
And all its sinful wishes. 

Geo. F. Bowex. 



I 




them. Vet, for its length, it is not a bad biooU. The trout are not 
numerous, nor large, nor especially fine, hut every one you catch renews 
your sm'jMise that you should catch a//r in such a rihhon of a hrook. Still 
farther north is another stream, something larger, and much better or 
worse, according to your luck. It is easy of access, and quite unpietend- 
ing. There is a bit of a pond, some twenty feet in diameter, from wiiich 
it flows, and in tiiat there are five or six half-pound trout, who seem to 
have retired from active life and given themselves to meditation in this 
liquid convent. They were very tempting but quite untemptable. Stand- 
ing afar off we selected an irresistible fly, and with long line we sent it 
pat into the very place. Xo trout should have hesitated a moment. The 
morsel was delicious. The nimblest of them should have flashed thiough 
the water, broke the surface, and with a graceful but decisive curve 
plunged downward, carrying the insect with him. Then we should in our 
turn very cheerfully lend him a hand, relieve him of his prev, and admiiing 
his beauty, but pitying his untimely fate, buried him in the basket. But 
he wisheil no translation. We cast our fly again and again; we drew it 
hither and thither; we made it skip and wriggle; we let it fall plash like 
a surprised miller; and our audience calmly beheld our feats. 

Xext we tried ground bait, and sent our vermicular hook down to 
their very sides. With judicious gravity the\- parted, aiul slowly sailed 
toward the root of an old tree on the side of the ])ool. Again changing 
place, we will make an ambassatlor of a grasshopper. Laying down our 
rod, we prepare to catch the grasshopper; that is in itself no slight feat. 
The first step you take at least forty bolt out, and tumble headlong in the 
grass; some cling to the stems, some are creeping under the leaves, and 
not one seems to be in re<)ch. Yom step again; another flight takes place, 
and you eye them with a fierce petretration, as if von could catch some one 
with your evg>j.« You cannot thbji^h. You brush the- grass with your foot 
, t. * ' t'l'.-A'i ¥Li' -f*!^ I tV ag-ain. Another hundred snaii 

' -^' ■" •• ■ out, and tumble about in every 

'*'*^ ,'*■■ ' ^ Jirection. At length you see 



AjL - - -l:;^* -• * aJvery nice young fellow climb- 

,., • ■^"" \n-£ a/ ateenle stem. i ou take 

good aiui an/l giab at him. 
, Voji«i*t|b the spire, but he has 

^f^ ^ ' ({ ,.,5), jumped 'a safe rod. Yonder is 

~ ??^, r.j^ '' «-- another, creeping among some 




delicate ferns. With broiid palm you clutch him and all the neighbor- 
ing herbage too. Stealthily opening your little finger, you see his 
eg'; the next, fldger reveals more of him; and opening the next you. 
are just begi^wiing to take him out with the other hand, when out he 
bounds and/lea\'es you to renew your entomological pursuits. Twice you 
snatch hairMivills of grass, and cautiousl}' open your palm to find that you 
have om# wass. It is quite vexatious. There are thousands of them here 
and ty^ej/climbing and wriggling on that blade, leaping off from that 
stalkZ/wisting and kicking on that vertical spider's web, jumping and 
bou*{/ijig about under your very nose, hitting you in your face, creeping 
on/roti/ shoes, and yet not one do you get. If any tender-hearted person 
eV0'r Vftondered how a humane man could bring himself to such cruelty as 
ale an insect, let him hunt for a grasshopper in a hot day among 
ass, and when at length he secures one, the affixing him upon the 
look will be done without a single scruple, and as a mere 
matter of penal justice, and with judicial solemnity. 

Now then the trout are yonder. We swing our line to 

the air, and give it a gentle cast toward the desired spot, 

and a puff of south \vind dexterously lodges it in the branch 

of a tree. You plainly see it strike, and whirl over and over, 

so that no gentle pull loosens it ; you draw it north and 

south, east and v\'est ; you give it a jerk up and a 23nll 

down; you give it a sei'ies of nimble twitches; you coax it 

in this way, and solicit it in that way, in vain. Then vou 

stop and look a moment, first at the trout, and then at your 

ine. Was there anything ever so vexatious? Would it be 

wrong to get angr}' ? In fact vou feel very much like it. 

The ver}^ things j-ou wanted to catch, the grasshopper and 

the trout, you could nor ; but a tree, that you did not want, 

you have caught fast at the first throw. You fear that the 

trout will be scared. You cautiously draw nigh and peep 

Yes, there they are looking at you, and laughing as sure as 

ever trout laughed. They imderstand the whole thing. With a 

very decisive jerk you snap j'our line, regain the remnant of it, and 

sit down to repair it, to jjut on another hook, catch another grass- 

opper, and move on down stream to catch a trout. 

But let us begin. Standing in the middle of the stream, your 
od in hand, let out twch'e to twent^v feet of line, varying its length 
according to the nature of the stream, and, as far as it can be done, keep- 
ing its position and general conduct under anxious scrutiny. Just here 
the water is mid-leg deep. Experimenting at each forward reach for 




a firm font-hold, slipping, stumbling over some inicouth stone, slipping on 
the moss of another, reeling and staggering, vou will ha\e a fine oppor- 
tunity of testing the old philosophical dictum, that vou can think of but one 
thing at a time. Vou must think of half a dozen ; of vour feet, or vou 
will be sprawling in the brook; of \<)ur eves and face, or the branches 
will scratch them; of vour line, or it will tangle at every step; of \-our-*far- 
distant hook and dimlv seen bait, or vou will lose the end of all vour fijt] 
ing. At first it is a puzzling business. A little practice sets things a 
right. ■' 

Do vou see that reach of shallow water gathered to a head b\' a cross- 
bar of s.unken rocks.' The watei' splits in going over upon a slab of rock 
below, and forms an eddv to the right and one to the left. Let us trv 
grasshop)3er there. Casting it in above, and guiding it bv a motion 
vour rod, over it goes, and whirls out of the mvriail l)ubbles into the etl 
of the edd}', when, cpiick as a wink, the watei- breaks open, 
a tail flashes in the air and disap])ears, but re-appears to th 
instant backward motion of \(>ur liand, and the Aictim 
comes skittering up the stream, whirling over and o^■er, till 
your hand grasps him, extricates the hook, and slips him 
into the basket. Poor fellow ! \ou zca)/( to be sorrv for 
him, but every time you tr\' \ou are glad instead. Stand- 
ing still, you bait again, and try the otiier side of the stre; 
where the water, wiping off the bubbles from its face, 
taking toward that dee]) spot under a side rock. There! 
you've got him ! Still tempting these two shores, vou take 
fi\ e in all, and then the tribes below grow cautious. Let- 
ting your line rini before you, you wade along, holding on 
by this branch, fumbling with vour feet along the jagged 
channel, changing hands to a bough on the left side, leaning 
on that rock, stepjsing over that strantled log. Ripping a 
generous hole ni your skirt as you leave it, vou come to the 
•edge of the petty fall. You step dow n, thinking only how to keep 
your balance, and not at all of the probable depth of water, till vou 
splash and plunge down into a basin waist-deep. The first sensa^' 
tion of a man up to his vest pockets in water, is peculiarly fooli: 
and his first laugh rather faint; and he is afterward a little ashamei 
of the alacrity with which he scrambles for the bank. A stj^) or two 
brings \o\\ to a sand-bank and to \ourself. I>ut while you aremn a scrape 
at one end of vom- line, a trout has got into a worse one at theVother. A 
little flurried with surprise at both experiences, you come near losing him 
in the injudicious haste with which you o\erhaul him. 







" Cold, those rivers, as the fountains 

From the wilderness that flow, 
Cold as waters of the mountains, 

Gelid with the ice and snow, 
There amid the soft abysses, 

Or the river's spring-fresh tide, 
Gleaming, flashing, leaping, diving. 

Shoals of lordl)' salmon glide." 

The salmon family is considered the royal branch in tracing the 
various species of game fish in American waters, and the sea salmon is 
undisputed king in tliis line. It is not solely on account of size that the 
salmon holds this honored position, for the mascalonge would prove a 
formidable rival in this respect, but it is the combination of game qualities, 
and particularly that of rising to the artificial fly and figliting for liberty 
vs'hen hooked, with wonderful strength, activity and sagacity, making the 
result doubtful to the last, tliat gives such zest to salmon fishing'. 

Although the salmon takes an annual outing, so to speak, in the 
ocean waves, it is practically a fresli water fisli from the angler's point of 
vievi', as it is born in the clear cold rivers flowing to the sea, and returns each 
season to the vicinit}' of its birth place, by instinct as unerring as that of 
the carrier pigeon. No ordinary obstacle will stop the fish wlien ascending 
his native river, and remarkable incidents are told illustrating the endurance, 
perseverance and acrobatic powers of the salmon in overcoming the 
natural and artificial barriers of the stream. 

It is now believed by our leading naturalists that " the original habitat 
of the entire family Salnioiidce was in fresh water, and that it is the sea 



'iflte': 



■••X 



salmon which has becume enatic — the disturbances of '-tf^j-g^y^ I iciiini 
having driven them out of their primitive inland possessions. - j3lit^,itt= 
obedience to the. law of evolution which requires posteritv to pi^SE^S&itgh ' 
the same biological changes as their [)rogenitors did, all salmon must be 
born and live for a time, at least, in fresh water; hence we find our sea 
salmon coming into the rivers and spending a large proportion of their 
time in fresh water, seeking there a change of diet and hygienic treatment 
against parasites and fungus." These observations, from the pen of a 
practical angler-naturalist, appear reasonable and forcible. 

The Atlantic salmon — considered the best game fish of the several 
closely allied species — is described as follows by scientists, as to appearance 
and general characteristics; Body moderately elongate, symmetrical, not 
generallv compressed. Ileatl rather low. Mouth moderate, the maxillary 
reaching just past the eve. Scales rather large, largest posteriorly, and 
silverv in appearance. Coloration in the atlult brownish above, the sides 
more or less silverv, with numerous black spots' on sides of head, on body, 
and on fins, and red patches along the sides in the males; young specimens 
(parrs) with about eleven duskv cross-bars, besides black spots and red 
patches, the color, as well as form of the head ami bodv varying much 
with age, food and condition; the black spots in the adult often x shaped, 
or X X shaped. Weight fifteen to forty pounds. North Atlantic, ascending 
all suitable rivers and the region north of Cape Cod; sometimes perma- 
nently laud-locked in lakes, where its habits and colorations (but no 
tangible specific characters) changed somewhat when it becomes, in 
America, var. Sr/>an-o. 

Salmon fishing is beyond doubt royal sport, and under present 
conditions it cannot be enjo\ed to the full extent bv any American anglers 
except those having royal incomes, as the Canadian tour, cost of fishing 
lease, guide, boatman, etc., bring the expense well up in round numbers, 
inaking the ordinary "silver lure" buidensome, good gold eagles being 
preferable for the line of rapid transit. In the early portion of the past 
century the Hudson ri\er was a magnificent salmon stream, but the 
changes wrought h\ time and the tide of commerce have so fettered it and 
polluted the natural title that it now leads to fortune more than to fishing. 
The head waters of the Hudson have of late been restocked, and a number 
of salmon of moderate size were taken last se<ison below an impassable 
dam, thus proving that if suitable fish-ways can be secureil, and necessary 
restrictions against seining put into effect, the river will again furnish 
excellent sport for salmon fishers. Much credit is due to Mr. A. N. 
Chene\', of Glens Falls, N. Y., for organizing a strong association to 
promote the good work of restoring the salmon fishing of the Hudson. 



23 



If properly supported success will be assured, and the movement will be 
of incalculable value to the state whether considered from an angling or a 
financial standpoint. 

A few rivers in Maine and several streams along the Pacific coast 
afford fair fl^'-fishing for salmon, but the large majority of American 
anglers, seeking for sport in this line, visit the streams tributary to the St. 
Lawrence, where the fishing exploits of such past masters of the craft as 
Dr. Bethune, " Frank Forester," Robert B. Roosevelt, Charles Lanman, 
Charles Hallock, and a host of other worthies, have drawn public 
attention to the exclusion, almost, of minor resorts. Let lis hope the day 
is not far distant when our own rivers, judiciously restocked and protected, 
will furnish fishing equally good for the recreation of our anglers. 

It would be folly to attempt instruction, even as to the first principles 
of practical salmon fishing, in a few pages devoted to this subject. So 
far as primary lessons can be given in entertaining and instructive form, 
the reader is commended to a careful perusal of Chas. Hallock's admirable 
book, " The Salmon Fisher," and Henr}' P. Wells' " American Salmon 
Fisherman "^ two volumes full of interest and instruction for students 
preparing to take the coveted degree of master of arts in the school of 
angling. 

Mr. George Dawson, in his captivating work, entitled " Pleasures of 
Angling," gives a realistic description of the sensations he experienced in 
catching his first salmon. After securing a rise, and gazing upon the fish, 
face to face; beholding the cavernous mouth and bulging ej'es of his finny 
adversary, just rising from the depths, the angler experienced the feeling 
of faintness, followed by electric thrills usual at this stage; and then, 
exerting every effort to regain composure, he made a second cast. 

The story is best told in his own words: "I had marked the spot 
Avhere the fish had risen, had gathered up my line for another cast, hatl' 
dropped the fly, like a snow-flake, just where I desired it to lest, when, 
like a flash, the same enormous head appeared, the samfe oBi^ti j i\\ ^ 
revealed themselves, a swirl and a leap and a strike followed, and Wi\ 1 i ^t 
salmon was hooked with a thud! which told me as plainly asftjf Wlij«r>j 
operation had-transpired within the range of my vision,; that if t Ibst mim, 
it would be my own fault. When thus assured, there was excitemcii-^tiiit 
no flin-ry. My nerves thrilled and every muscle- assumed the tenslioWof 
well-tennjered steel, but I realized the full sublimit}' of the 0C|CaslDn, alnd 
a sort of majestic calmness took the place of the stupid- inact-ionl''vj.Ji 
followed the first apparition. My untested rod bent under the piessi,in. Sii 
a graceful curve; my reel clicked out a livelier melody tlTaijuevei eman ilt I 
f]-om harp or hautboj', as the astonished fish made h-is""ftrst dish the 




H 



tensioneil line emitted -Eolian music as it stretched and stiffeiietl iiiuler 
the strain to which it was sulijected; and for fifty minutes there was such 
crivintf and taiiino:, such suliving- and rusiiintr, such leaping- and tearino-. 
such hopin<>; and fearing, as would have ' injected life into the ribs of 
death,' made an anchorite dance in very ecstasy, and caused any true 
angler to believe that his heart was a kettle-drum, every sinew a jew's- 
harp, and tlie whole frame-work of his excited nerves a full band of music. 
And dining all this time my canoe-man rendered efHcient service in 
keeping even pace with the eccentric movements of the struggling fish. 
'Hold him head up, if possiblel' was the counsel given me, and 'make 
him work for e\ery inch of line.' Whether, therefore, he took fiftv yards 
or a foot, I tried to make him pull for it, and then to regain whatever was 
taken as soon as possible. The result was an incessant clicking of the 
reel, either in paying out or in taking in, with an occasional Hurrv and 
leap which could have been nu more prevented than the onrushing of a 
locomotive. Anv attempt to have suddenlv checked him bv making 
adequate resistance would have made leader, line or rod a wreck in an 
instant. All that it was proper or safe to do was to give each just the 
amount of strain and pressure it could bear with safety — not an ounce 
more nor an ounce less — and I believe that I measured the pressure so 
exactlv that the strain upon my rod did not var\ half an ounce from the 
first to the last of the struggle. Toward the close of the fight, when it 
was evident that the 'jig was up,' and I felt myself master of the situation, 
I took my stand upon a projecting point in the river, where the water was 
shallow, and ^vhere the most favorable opportunity possible was afforded 
the gaffer to give the struggling fish the final death thrtist, and so end the 
battle. It was skillfulh done. The first plunge of the gaff brought hiin 
to the greensward, and there la\' out before me, in all his silver beauty and 
magnificent proportions, m\ first salmon. He weighed thirty pounds, 
measured nearly four feet in length, was killed in fiftv minutes. It is said 
that when the good old Dr. Bethune landed A/s first salmon, ' he caressed it 
as fondly as he ever caressed his first born.' I could only stand over mine 
in speechless admiration and delight — panting with fatigue, trembling in 
very ecstasy." 

Summing up his afterthoughts on this occasion, the author adds: 
"The victory was a surfeit for the morning. With other fish in full view, 
ready to give me a repetition of the grand sport I had already experienced, 
I made no other cast, and retired perfectly contented. The beautiful fish 
was laid down lovingly in the bottom of the canoe and born in triumph to 
the camp, where fish and fisher were given such a hearty welcome amid 
such hilarious enthusiasm as was befitting 'the cause and the occasion.' " 
A thrilling incident, well written. 



■'s^ 




■ ' '^'» ii^ 




BROOK TROUT. 

"Here, where the willowy thickets lave 
Their drooping tassels beneath the wave, 
There lies a deep and darkened pool 
Whose waters are crystal clear and cool; 
It is fed by many a gurgling fount 
That trickles from upland pasture and mount, 
And where the tree-shadows fall dense and dim 
The glittering trout securel}' swim." 

Of the brook trout — the justly prized 'salmon of the fountain' — it 
mav truthfully be said that 'tis the popular favorite among most lovers of 
fly-lishing in the United States. Like the garnet the speckled trout 
sparkles for the multitude, while that gem of the first water, the salmon, 
gleams in its silvery lustre for the favored few. The brook trout is more 
widely distributed, and therefore more generally known than any other 
fresh water game fish of the first order, with the exception, possiblj', of 
the black bass. 

The natural habitat of the speckled trout is the section of countrj' 
comprising the principal Eastern, New England and extreme Northern 
states, along the Canadian border, and westward to the sources of the 
Mississippi and those streams tributary to Lake Superior, where some 
of the largest specimens are found, ranking in size and game qualities 
with the magnificent trout of Maine waters. The southern range extends 
to the foot-hills of the AUeghanies, and the headwaters of the Chatta- 
hoochie, in Georgia, with a moderate number in the North Carolina 
tributaries of the Catawba. Many of the fish caught and recorded under 
the name of brook trout in certain sections of the United States, belong 
in reality to other species, and the local name, trout, is therefore a mis- 
nomer, frequently. 



25 



>i%r 



No other S]3ecies of game fish \aries so greatly in coloration and 
g;^je conditions of water and food acting upon the sensitive or- 
gaTuPfP^^^Pteook trout with effect almost equal to that of light and 
shad?\ipoif the cliangeful chameleon. In streams flowing over gravelly 
bottom and sandy soil, and throiTgh varied meadow-land and forest ; or 
where the foot-hills of the mountains give dash and sparkle to the rivulets 
running down their slopes, the colors of the biook trout are brightest and 
the form of the fish most beautiful. In sluggish waters, dark and 
somber, shaded by heavy woodlands, the trout seem to belong to a differ- 
ent variety, hence the confusion existing in local names and nomenclature. 
An interesting and instructive exhibit might be made of genuine brook 
trout, taken from twenty widel)- separated localities, entirely unlike in 
character, and afforilin;^ a family of fisli apparently representing a score 
of species. 

The majority of anglers are familiar, through personal exi^erience or 
published description, with the carmine-dotted appearance of the brook 
trout. iV volume would scarcely be sufficient to reveal the variety of 
colorings, characteristics and modes of capture. As well attempt to de- 
scribe the shifting scenes of a kaleidoscope, or give a pen-picture of the 
varying tints and texture of the rainbow. The best method of studying 
the sprightly salmon of the fountain is not through merely reading the 
printed line, but consists rather in casting the silken line ' with neatness 
and despatch,' directly to his home. If the invitation is delicately sent 
and properly delivered the response will be prompt, and after overcom- 
ing the natural diffidence and reluctance of your new acquaintance, you 
may have the supreme satisfaction of placing him at your right hand — 
the position of honor — at your dining table. 

The character of brook-trout fishing is as variable and fascinating as 
the coloration and habits of the fish. Fly-fishing is of course the highest 
and most enjoyable form of the art, though bait-fishing is by no means a 
tame or dull I'ecreation. In fishing with the fly there is perhaps more of 
the picturesque, the artistic and scientific, but in bait-fishing a greater 
amount of energy, p itience and perseverance may often be required. 
One well-known authoritv, Thomas Tod Stoddart, even declares that 
" worm-fishing for trout, when the waters are clear and low, the 
skies bright and warm, requires essentially more address and experience, 
as well as better knowledge of the habits and instincts of the fish, than 
fly-fishing." Leaving this debatable question aside, there is sufficient 
sport in either style of fishing to satisfy any except the most critical 
angler. 



27 



The trout-fisher at his best is one of the happiest of mortals. His 
lines are surely cast in pleasant places, along the cold spring brooks, 
where the mingled murmur of winds and woods and waters makes low 
music to his ears, the changeful scene affords a succession of pleasing- 
pictures to the eye, and the velvet turf is like a carpet to the feet. Or his 
steps may wander near the foamy cataract, the deep river, and quiet lake, 
for the haunts of trout are found in a wide diversit)- of places. In the 
vicinity of Ashland, Wis., for instance, a long rocky ledge overhangs the 
shore of Chequamegon Bay, a short distance below the month of one of 
the favorite trout streains of that locality, and some of the largest speci- 
mens have been caught by a method known to the natives as "rock-fish- 
ing," which consists in fly-fishing from a boat carefully propelled along 
near shore, giving the angler opportunity to cast his lure beneath the 
beetling crags where the liu'king trout lie in wait. 

The science of fly-casting — and it is certainly a scientific attainment 
— may be partially mastered by tournament methods and practice, but 
the critical test must be made at the trout-stream, where it will be found 
that the angler has ample use for all his resources of accuracy and deli- 
cacy, though he may usually dispense with the long distance cast that 
wins all the grand-stand applause. The Chicago Fly-Casting Club very 
properly gave precedence to points of delicate and accurate work, in 
summing up the respective merits of contestants at the World's Fair 
Tournaments, thus recognizing the most essential requirements for suc- 
cessful fly-fishing, particularly for brook-trout. 

In his practical treatise entitled " Where the Trout Hide," the 
author. Kit Clarke, gives manj' excellent suggestions as to how, ^vhen 
and where to fish with the fly, and the book therefore furnishes a valu- 
able lesson for the novice in trout-fishing. To the book and the brook 
the amateur may safely go for instruction. 





SMALL MOUTH BLACK BASS. 

From PholograpJi. 



Weight, bJi Lbs. 

Caught by W. D. Boyce, 

.\uau8T, 1S94. 



" In shallows of the river-reach 

Where rock and pebbles chafe the tide, 
Where o'er white gravel and the sand 

The rushing waters foam and glide, 
There oft the angler with his fly 

Takes the black rovers where thev lie." 

The above lines from the poet-sportsman, Isaac McLellan, run 
smoothly and bring to the mind a picture of black-bass fishing with the 
artificial fl^'. This bold game-fish, formerly little known and less prized 
by the majority of anglers, has within the past ten years been accorded its 
proper place in the first rank, by reason of the spirited essays and graphic 
descriptive sketches in the sportsmen's journals, and more particularly the 
excellent " Book of the Black Bass," from the pen of our modern apostle 
on this subject. Dr. James A. Henshall. 

Two species of this distinctivelv American game fish, the large- 
mouthed black bass and the small-inouthed black bass, are found in the 
lakes and streams of the United States. The distinguishing features of 
the two, as described by the author previously quoted, rnay be easily 
observed, as " the angle of the mouth in the small-mouthed bass reaches 
only to, or below, the eye ; while in the large-mouthed bass it extends 
considerably beyond, or behind it." He also adds that the angler who will 
bear in mind the difference thus : small mouth and small scales ; large 
mouth and large scales, — will never be at a loss to identify the black bass 
species. 



31 




,t confusion exists, however, in various sections of the country 

the black bass. In the south both species are generally mis- 

roiit;" in jDovtions of Kentucky it is known as the "jumping 

-ii^^"&rtb' Carolina it appears as the " trout-perch " antl " white 

mon ; " in Virginia it is termed the " chub," and in the Northern States, 



''tfttffP^tfie'Tsrm bass is usually applied, some local appellation is frequently 
I, as " tiger bass," " buck bass," 3'ellow or green bass, river, cove, lake, 
u<rh,;t)r marsh bass, and in some instances Oswego bass. 

It WiiM:>e seen that the local names for the black bass are as varied 

ili<g5fsog'raphical range of the two species, which extends to 
^;^^eaiJy eveTy state east of the Rocky Mountains. In weight the small- 
mouthed bass ordinarily attains to about five pounds, and the large-mouthed 
se\ en pounds, as a maximum, though occasionally larger specimens have 
been taken of each kind, especially the latter species, which, in southern 
waters, sometimes reaches sixteen pounds. The colors of the black bass 
vary in different sections and even those caught in the same lake or stream 
show considerable variation, but the prevailing tinge is an olive-green, dark- 
est on the back, lighter on the sides, and nearly white on the belly. 

The favorite natural food of the bass consists of crawfish and min- 
nows — the former preferred — though the various flies are seized v^'ith 
avidit}', during the season when these appear over the surface of the 
waters. Black bass fishing on the inland lakes and rivers, whether with 
the natural bait or the artificial fly, is a most exhilarating pastime. Stream 
fishing is preferable for most anglers, as the methods emplo3'ed — wading, 
or casting from the shore — give greater variet}' of scene and an opportu- 
nit}' for more exciting play, than lake fishing from a boat. Reef-fishing, 
about the Bass Islands of Lake Erie, which forms a distinct branch, differ- 
ing in most respects from the ordinary bass-fishing, is enjoyed by many 
anglers who aunuallv visit the resort, and catch large fish under the ledges, 
in water ten to twent}' feet deep. 

In fly-fishing a rod ten feet and three inches in length, and of se\'en 
and one half ounces \veight is recommended by Dr. Henshall. The rod 
should be stiffer than one used for trxtut-fishing, as the bass are usuallv 
much larger than the brook trout; the reel a single-action click-reel; and 
the line an enameled, braided silk fly-line, with a carefullv selected leader, 
about six feet long, and a moderate sized f[y of brown, red, black, gray or 
ginger hackle. 

The charm of this branch of angling is graphicallv described by Dr. 
Henshall, who remarks that in stream-fishing the angler " has the birds 
and flowers, the whispering leaves, the laughing water — old and genial 
friends of whom he never tires, whose fellowship is never wearisome, 



32 



whose conipanv is nc\cr dull. Thei'e are no harsh or disconlaut sounds 
on the stream — nothing to offend the eye or ear. Even the kingfisher's 
rattle, the caw of the crow, the tinkle of the cow-hell, the hark of the 
squirrel are softened and suhdued anti harmonized by the ripple of the 
stream and the rustle of the overhanging' trees. All is jov and gladness, 
peace and contentment, bv the merrv shallows and quiet pools of the flow- 
ing, rushing stream. The swish of the rod, the hum <if the reel, the cut- 
ting of the line through the water, the leap of the bass, seem somehow to 
blend with the voices of the stream and the trees on its banks, and to speak 
to the angler in louiler, though sweeter, tones than on open waters; such 
sountls seem to he more intensified or heightened in their effect bv some 
mysterious acoustic propertv of the stream and its surronndings. And the 
occasional 'pipe of peace' in some shadv nook or sequestered spot, where, 
stretched at full length, the angler watches the nicotine incense assuming 
all manner of weird shapes as it ascends towaril the tree-tops, while he 
indulges in fanciful da\'-dreams, with the cudI breeze fanning his heated 
brow — the soft ferns resting his tired limbs! Yea, verilv, this is the fish- 
ing beyond compare." 




\^4 ^Ift*^ 







MASCALONGE. weiohx aS lbs. 

Caught by W. D. Boyce, 
From Photograph. August, 1S94. 

"For earliest sport tr_v the waters in May, 
The mascalonge then will be leaping in plav ; 
But better, by far, is the fishing in June, 
When weirdly re-echoes the cry of the loon; 
Or, if you prefer the sweet by and by, 
Bring the rod and the reel in sultry July." 

Chief among' the members of the pike family is the mascalonge — a 
giant in size and a game fish of high order. In Canada and along the 
border line in the United States, the name " maskinonge " is much used, 
and the fish in the other sections is variously known as " muskallonge," 
" niasquinongy," etc. The derivation of the name is from the French 
masque allonge ("long face"), the Chippewa term, " maskinonge," having 
similar meaning. 

In size the mascalonge takes rank with the salmon, attaining a weight 
of from forty to fift)' pounds, and Dr. E. Sterling records an instance of 
having speared one, nearly fifty years ago, weighing eighty pounds Fish 
of this species weighing twenty pounds are quite common, and specimens 
of fortjr pounds weight are no rarity in suitable waters where fishing has 
been indulged in only to a moderate degree. As a means of identifying 
the mascalonge — which closely resembles the larger pike and pickerel in 
certain respects — an angling authority states that the difference may be 
easily detected by observing the gill covers. The lower half of cheek 
and gill-cover in the mascalonge are destitute of scales, while the pike 
has the cheek fully covered with scales, and in the pickerel it will be 
observed that both cheek and gill cover are grown with scales. 

The range of this species is Cjuite extensive, from the St. Lawrence 
in the East to the upper Mississippi in the West, and southward to the 
Tennessee River. It fm-nishes good sport to the angler, and as a food 
fish is superior to other members of the pike family. Trolling with live 
minnow or artificial bait is the favorite method of fishing for mascalonge, 
and when taken with a bass-rod the play is exciting. The fish, particu- 
larly in Wisconsin v\'aters and in the St. Lawrence, leaps above the sur- 



34 



face in the attempt to get free from the hook, and although mucli inferior 
to the salmon, whether as a game or food fish, it is one of the best of 
inland fishes. A live minnow or frog will prove a good hnc in trolling or 
casting for mascalonge. 

The admirers of the species ha\e christened this fish " the tarpon of 
the North," and he is sometimes called the "tiger of the fresh waters," but 
under any title he is a valiant fighter, a bold, fierce biter, and worthy of 
the angler's attention in the lake or out of his native element, on the ban- 
quet board. Strong tackle and cool, skillful plav are essential to success 
in capturing the large specimens, and a forty-pounder, after furnishing a 
royal battle for a half hour or more, will grace a hall or club-ioom excel- 
lentlv, if well mounted bv a taxidermist. 



THE SEA BASS. 

" Wide off Long Island's yellow beacli, 
Where fisher's plummet scarce may reach, 
Deep-sunken in the depths of brine, 
Where sea-weeds all the rocks entwine, 
Where kelp its beaded ribbon flings, 
And the black mussel closely clings. 
And sea-dulse their long tresses flaunt. 
There the dark sea-bass makes his haunt." 

Fresh from the water the sea-bass is considered a good food fish, but 
its flavor soon fails and becomes insipid. In like manner the resistance of 
the fish against capture consists in one weak flurrv, when it vields tamely 
and comes to the surface like a dead weight. 

In coloration the sea-bass is beautiful, being dark blue, with gills of 
scarlet tinge, the inside of mouth bright vellow, and the abdomen pale 
blue, with spots of various shades covering the bodv. The fins are large, 
and the body stroiig, though rather coarse in outline. The sea-bass is not 
abundant in northern waters, though it was in former vears caught in large 
numbers along the coast of Xew York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. 
In weight the sea-bass rims fiom one pound to three pounds. It inhabits 
the deep \vater, is a bottom feedei', and is usuallv caught, in northern re- 
sorts, during October or early in November. The flood-tide is the best 
for sea-bass fishing, and sandworms and clams are favorite baits. 




PIKE AND PICKEREL. 



" By blue lake marge, upon whose breast 
The water-lilies love to rest, 
Lurking beneath those leaves of green 
The fierce pike seeks his covert screen, 
And thence with sudden plunge and leap, 
Swift as a shaft through air may sweep. 
He seizes, rends, and bears away 
To hidden lair his struggling prey." 

Pickerel-fishing is a sort of intermediate branch in the art of ang:|j|ff 
It is a degree higher than perch or rock-bass fishing, and several de 
lower than trout and salmon fishing, in the estimation of skilled de 
of rod and line. The pike and pickerel, however, furnish sport f( 
multitudes of fishermen remote from the streams and lakes affording 
bass, brook trout or salmon-fishing. 

The habitat of these closely allied species of the pike family dd 
perhaps a wider geographical range than any other variety of fish wb 
of classification under the head of American game fishes. They are ^ 
in most of the inland lakes and rivers, of the Eastern as well as the ^t', 
ern states, and nearly every man or boy familiar with any kind of ;i:ij 
water fishing will recognize one or both of the species readily, although 
the confusion of fish lore is such that their identity is often as badly mixed 
as that of the two Dromios. To make " confusion worse confounded," the 
pike-perch is in many localities pojoularly supposed to be the true pike, and 
the genuine pike passes for pickerel. No one need err in identifying 
either of two last-named — i. e., pike and pickerel — if the simple test 
named in the article on the mascalonge be borne in mind. 

It may not be generally known that jjickerel will occasionally rise to 
the fly — though fly-fishing for this species would be a very uncertain and 
unsatisfactory sport. It is only an incidental by-play when fl3'-fishing for 
black bass, and under such circumstances will be found a novelty, interest- 
ing by way of variety. The pike, proper, will seldom, if ever, rise to the 
fly, but is a bold biter and will take the minnow, frog, trolling spoon, or 
other bait, in a ravenous manner, and furnish exciting play. The pike 
sometimes attains a weight of eighteen or twenty pounds, and in a few 
instances fish of this species have been taken weighing twenty-five 
pounds. 

Professor Jordan describes the members of the pickerel family, five in 
number, thus: "Common Eastern pickerel (green pike); snout much 




36 



prolonged, front of eye about midway in head ; coloration green ; sides 
with net-work of brown streaks ; found in streams of Atlantic States. — 
Hump-backed pickerel, elevated back and broad, swollen ante-dorsal 
region; colors plain (olive green); found in Western States. — Banded 
pickerel or trout pickerel ; snout much shorter than in precedmg ; eve 
nearer snout; color, dark green; sides, twenty blackish curved bars; rare- 
l}' a foot long; home, Atlantic streams. — Little pickerel, or Western trout 
pickerel; size and form of preceding;- more slender; coloi", olivaceous 
green above, tinting to white below; sides, curved streaks instead of bars; 
lilack streak in front of eve as well as below ; abundant in Western 
streams." 

WALL-EYED PIKE. 



" The wall eyed pike so phantom-like 
In waters clear and cold ; 
Its heavy strike like driven spike, 
Its sil\'er\' scales and gold." 

The pike-perch, more commonly known as the wall-eyed pike, is 
common in the Northern and Northwestern states, where the species is a 
popular favorite with bov-anglers, among whom the fish is regarded as a 
prize. The usual weight is from t\vo to fi\e pounds, but large specimens 
are sometimes taken weighing nearlv thirtv pounds. Although it is not 
considered a game-fish, of any special merit, the pike-perch is a food fish 
of better flavor and finer flesh than the ordinary pike and pickerel. 

In still or sluggish water's the wall-eyed pike, when hooked, shows 
little activity and is not regarded with favor by anglers, but in swift 
streams the character of the tish is entirely different. It is usually taken 
either by still-fishmg or trolling, the latter method, of course, giving the 
best sport. The fish are abundant in man\' Western lakes anil streams, 
and as an edible fish it is held in deservedly high estimation. 

The form of the pike-perch is compai ativelj' slender and graceful, 
particularly in specimens of moderate size, and the general resemblance of 
the various species of the perch family can be readily traced in all, from 
the so-called ' wall-eyed pike ' down to the common yellow perch familiar 
to almost every jouthful angler. The local name of " wall-eye " is sug- 
gestive of the large staring eyes — perhaps the most noticeable feature of 
the pike-perch. On the sides the scales are usually of an old gold tinge, 
fading to silvery white beneath, fin-nishing a combination to satisfy any 
bi-metallic angler in this respect, whatever his opinion ma\- be as to the 
game qualities of tiie fish. 



THE GRAYLING. 

"I wind about, and in and out, 
With here a blossom sailing, 
And here and there a lustj' trout, 
"And here and there a grayling." 

Among all the species of the finny tribe that fiu-nish recreation for 
the angler, no other perhaps is so ethereal and dainty, so graceful in form, 
fin atid outline, or so delicate in tints, as the grayling. In the waters of 
the United States — principally in the streams of Michigan — the rise and 
fall of the grayling has been remarkable, the species having risen rapidly 
in public estimation with a proportionate falling off in supply since angling 
writers first described and eulogised the American variety, about i860. 

The scientific name, Thymalliis^ applied to this species of the family 
Salmonidfe, has reference to the odor of thyme, so marked that in England 
the grayling is called " the flower of fishes." The Michigan variety sel- 
dom weighs more than a pound and a half, but the elegant form, the 
delicate shades of silver gray, olive brown and pale blue, and above all the 
magnificent dorsal fin, rising to the height of two inches, extending in its 
curved outline about one-fourth the length of the fish, and dotted like a 
waving banner with purple spots surrounded with greenish tints — com- 
bine to make the grayling a thing of beauty. 

The great dorsal fin is the chief mark of loveliness, and the general 
appearance of the fish is thus described bj' a prominent ichthyologist : 
" The sun's rays, lighting up the delicate olive-brown tints of the back and 
sides, the bluish-white of the abdomen, and the mingling of tints of rose, 
pale blue and purplish-pink on the fins, display a combination of colors 
equalled by no fish outside of the tropics." 

The range of the grayling in the United States appears to be limited 
to Michigan and Montana, while the Arctic species is comparatively abun- 
dant in the polar region. In Michigan the fish have diminished at an 
alarming rate during the past fifteen years, so much so that fears are enter- 
tained that it may be exterminated if better measures are not adopted for 
its protection and propagation — the latter being difficult to accomplish, 
as the best fish culturists fail in this branch of the work. 

In angling for this dainty fish the tackle and methods are almost iden- 
tical with those used in trout fishing, and the grayling in many instances is 
found in the same streams with the brook-trout. The American book of 
the grayling is yet to be published, but when it appears, if prepared by an 
enthusiastic and practical angler, the work will prove a welcome addition 
to the library of the fly-fisher. 



LAND-LOCKED SALMON, ETC. 



" With foam and splash tumultuous 

It dashes on its way, 
Past black, basaltic ledges. 

Past boulders, moss'd and gray ; 
Now dark it sleeps in shadow. 

Mid overhanging woods. 
And now reflects the heaven 

In cool transparent floods." 

It is now conceded, beyond question, tliat tlie land-locked salmon in 
its structure and natiu'al character is almost identical with the true 
salmon, from which it differs Init little except in size and the haliit — nat- 
ural or acquired — of remaining; in freshwater throughout the year in- 
stead of makinjj an annual pilgrimage to the sea. Many of the lakes 
and rivers inhabited bv land-locked salmon ha\'e direct^and easy outlets 
to the sea, lint the fish voluiitarih- remain, in most instances, near the 
place of their birth. 

In size the fish range from two to seven pounds, though occasionally 
a heavier one is taken. The list of local names by which it is known 
would puzzle a novice. In Maine it inhabits the systems of the Sebec,,St. 
Croix, Presuinpscot and Union rivers — the latter a tributary of the 
Penobscot — and the tish is known in that region as the Sebago Salmoia, 
and the Schoodic .Salmon; these titles indicating the lake and river mQsV" 



frequented by tlie laiul-locked salmon. In the Lake St. John and Upper , 




Saguenav region of the Province of Quebec, the popular name is the \ 
\\ inunishe, Witnanishe, or Ouinaniche. Mr. Eugene AlcCarthv, a prac- 
tical autho^v on the subject, accepts ami adopts the latter appellation in 
his bosk, " The Leaping Oiiananiche." The species is also found in the 
lakes of Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario and Nova Scotia, in which 
latteiViP^ovince the fish is strangelv enough called the " graylingj" al- 
though the resemblance is almost wholly imaginarv. , 

Reosardiiig thcgame qualities of the ouananiche, it is a fish equal to 
its kindred the sea salmon, so called, due allov ance being made for the 
superior size of the latter. Mr. [. G. Aviwin Creighton, a careful ob- 
server, remarks that while watching a fish hooked at the head of Isle 
Maligne, rouml which the fiercest rapids of the Grande Decharge sweep, 
,IJ(|^^is profound 1\ impressed with the remarkable strength and pluck of 
^ the ouananiche. Standing thirty feet above the water the angler could 
see the fish plainly, in the clear stretches between the white-crested rollers, 
fighting its course up a series of inclines with straight steps of three to 
four feet at the, top of each, and then, after resting a moment on the sum- 



39 



\ ■n 






mit of the fall, dash off like a flash into the full strength of the down- 
current, from whence the fish was steered into a little cove, and there, 
fighting until strength was gone, finally lay exhausted on the surface. 

Other varieties of the salmon family, differing mainly in size and 
form, with the same general characteristics, do not require special de- 
scription here. On the Pacific coast there are several species more or 
less prized among the anglers of that section. 

A western writer classifies the salmon of the Pacific into five species, 
namely: the quinnat, or tyee salmon; the kisutch, or blue-back salmon; 
the nerka, or sawqui salmon; the keta, or cultus salmon; the quilla3-ute, 
or oolahan salmon. The first two species, and the last-named, afford 
good sport, their respective value as game fish being indicated by the 
order in which they are named. Trolling and still fishing are the 
principal methods of capture. The quinnat salmon often attains a weight 
of one hundred pounds, the blue-back salmon twenty pounds, and the 
quillayute about six pounds. 

Of the smaller species, allied to the common brook trout, there are 
three that may be referred to as distinct in the region westward of the 
Rocky Mountains. These species are the California brook trout or 
rainbow trout; the Rocky Mountain or Yellowstone trout, and the Rio 
Grande trout. The habitat of each is indicated by its name, and their 
general character is very similar to the brook trout, the principal differ- 
ence V)eing in coloration. Many local names are given, as salmon trout, 
lake trout, bull trout, sea trout, glacier trout, yellowstone trout, geyser 
trout, cannibal trout, and the like, each having reference to some place or 
peculiarity distinguishin^__some one of the three species. 



■ ! -- '. 

i 

THE CHANNEL BASS. 

f - ' 

" But bright, O Florida, tlie waning 3'ear 
Smiles o'er thy waters and thy cloud-lands clear; 
The fow-ler comes thy swarming flocks to thin. 
The angler comes the luring spoon to spin, 
To take by sandy beach or marsh^y grass 
The tarpon, grouper, or the channel bass." 

The channel bass is a familiar and highly prized fish in the waters off 
the southern coast of the United States, where it is known as the red 
drum b)' Virginia anglers, the spotted bass by South Carolina fishermen, 
and the red bass by natives of Georgia and Florida. 



40 



By nature tlie channel bass is bold and omnivorous, the smaller spec- 
imens running in schools and following the angler's lure, fiequeiitly, to 
the side of the boat. The fish vary greatly in size, running from one 
jjound to fifty pounds weigiit. Striped bass tackle is well adapted to 
channel bass fishing, and the methods are similar. 

The Halifax River and Indian River Inlet are favoiite resorts, and the 
months of April and May yield excellent sport on the coast of Florida for 
lo\ ers of rod and reel. The fish run largest, however, in midsummer.^ 
\vhcn the\' are caught in quantities b\' hand-line fishermen. 



THE WEAKFISH. 

" But jet a cruel fate prepares 
For them its fierce destructive snares ; 
Thie fishers with their swarming boats 
Spread out their mesh seines and their floats ; 
The yacht sweeps round them witli the sail 
Or stoops the sea-liawk in the gale, 
While flashing bait and trailing line 
Drag them reluctant from tiie brine." 

The weakfish, or squeteague as the Indians call him, is a handsome 
game fish, symmetrical in outline and rich in colors, its scales shining with 
the seven cardinal hues. The prevailing tint is blue, and the general ap- 
pearance of the fish is thus described by ichthyologists : On the back and 
sides are spots arranged in transverse order. The color of the top of the 
head is greenish blue; inside of the mouth yellow; gill covers lustrous 
silver ; on lower jaw a salmon tint; fins of different coloration — dorsals 
brown ; pectoials yellowish brown; ventral and anal are orange. 

The southern variety of weakfish is known as the salt water trout, and 
both kinds afford excellent sport for anglers. The siuniner months, July 
and August, are best in the North. A fine linen line is used, with a light 
bamboo rod, a large reel, a good leader, with light swivel sinker, and two 
hooks of large bend, baited with sheddei' crab, shrimp, hard clam, or 
piece of menhaden, to complete the outfit. The weight of the weakfish 
runs from two pounds to sixteen poinids. Favorite fishing grounds on the 
Northern coast are at Atlantic Cit>', Newark Bay, Princess Bay, Long- 
Island Sound, mouth of Delaware River, and the Narrows. 



41 





" O silver-sided hsli — tlie king 

Of all that swim the southern sea,_ 
The skillful angler's vaunted art 

Too oft is triumphed o'er by thee, 
For naught avails his deadliest hook, 

His trolling spoon, his braided line. 
His manly strength, his Conr03' rod. 

To drag thee vanquish'd from the brine." 

The silver king — as the tarpon of the Florida coast is often termed — 
furnishes beyond doubt more exciting sport than any other species of sea 
fish taken with the rod and reel. As tlie largest of the herring family the 
tarpon is often called the king herring, and the prodigious strength, amaz- 
ing activity, and endless endurance of this armored knight errant among 
game fishes, combine to make him a most coveted prize in the estimation 
of adventurous anglers who possess the skill to handle the long line, and 
the financial ability to carry a long purse well filled. 

The late Col. F. S. Pinckney (" Ben Bent"), in his entertaining and 
practical volume entitled " The Tarpon, or Silver King," supplied a treatise 
giving elaborate instructions for catching this game fish. Other popular 
angling writers, notably J. Mortimer Murphy, of Sponge Harbor, Fla., 
and Dr. Charles J. Kenworthy ("Al Fresco"), of Jacksonville, have contrib- 
uted valuable articles on tarpon fishing to the sportsmen's journals and 
standard magazines, so that the pastime is familiar, theoretically at least, to 
the majority of American anglers. 

Along the coast of the United States the habitat of the tarpon is from 
Texas to the Georgia line — the favorite haunts being in Florida waters, 
especially St. John's River, Tampa Bay, Tarpon Springs, Punta Rassa, 
Calooshatchie, and the Homosassa Rivers. Among- the Florida Keys the 
tarpon may be found at all seasons of the year, and in spring and summer 
the fish are abundant in many of the rivers and along the coast of Florida. 



42 



The tackle for tarpmi fishincr must be remarkalilv strong, ami during 
the past ten 3'ears (marking the period of time since the species first came 
into prominence in the categorv of game fishes) — tarpon rods, reels, lines, 
etc., have been invented by American manufacturers to meet the rapidly 
increa-^iiig demantl. Tarpon fishing in Florida, like salmon fishing in 
Canada, now attracts a host of distinguished dex'otees eager for records 
and recreation. Dr. Kenworthv, describuig the sport in his graphic stvle, 
savs: " ^Ve frequentlv read of the excitement attending the capture of a 
bronze backer or a speckled trout, but those who give their experiences 
should hitch on to a tarp<in, and the\- would discover ' music in the air' 
worth recording ; for the capture of a silver king is a bright spot in a fish- 
erman's existence, and a fact worth referring to at a camp fire." 

A strong, ])liable split bamboo rod, seven to eight feet in length, and 
of one joint; a Cutty hunk linen line of fifteen to twenty-one threads in size, 
and a multiplying reel of the best qualit\-, capable of holding at least six 
hundred feet of strong line, are of first importance in the wav of tackle. To 
complete the outfit a good supplv of strong Limerick or O'Shaughnessy 
hooks, snoods of piano wire or treble braids of strong cotton line; a ser- 
viceable gaff, and other appliances of minor importance will lie required. 

For bait the mullet is generallv taken — sometimes whole, and some- 
times onlv a portion of the fish being used. The bait is allowed to sink to 
the bottom, in water perhaps eight feet in depth, and the Ujoatman and 
angler anchored some twenty-five yards awav are constantly on the qui 
vive to begin the liattle as soon as the siher king leaps from' tlie water, 
which he will alnK)st invariablv do upon feeling the prick of the hook in 
his gullet. During the first wild Hurrv the angler can offer \but little 
resistance, as the series of turns and furious leaps endanger tl\e tackle 
most at the beginning, but when the 'vaulting ambition' of tlie tampon has 
'overleaped itself,' and the struggle is carried on under instead of abQve the 
water, the angler can put his rod and line to the test in order to tiYe and 
evcntuallv liring his advcrsar\' in reach of the gaff. No finer finny titophy 
ever graced a table — or adorned a tale — than a well-mounted silver l^ing, 
gorgeous in his own shining armor, and lying 

" Like a w.-irrior taking his rest," 

Bravest and boldest, bri>rlitest and best. 






" It is a brave, a royal sport, 

Trolling for bluefish o'er the seas; 
Fair skies and soaring gulls above, 

A steady blowing breeze ; 
A shapely yacht whose foaming prow 

The bellowy plain divides, 
That like a gallant courser speeds 

Far, free o'er ocean tides." 

The bluefish has been called the Spanish buccaneer among game 
fishes of the sea, by reason of its piratical habits, its wanton manner of 
pursuing its prej' — killing smaller fish, principally menhaden or moss- 
bunkers, in vast numbers, and eating but a small portion of those that 
are slaughtered. The ocean pirate, variously known as the skipjack, 
horse mackerel, snapping xnackei-el, etc., is a valiant game fish, deservedly 
prized whether on the line or on the banquet board, and all along the 
Atlantic coast from Florida to Maine the coming of the bluefish is 
eagerly aw^aited by anglers and widely heralded by the press each season. 

In appearance the bluefish is strong and symmetrical, with graceful 
curved lines indicating agility and speed. The color is steel blue above 
and white or greenish white underneath, while the mouth is large and the 
edges well filled with very sharp teeth, enabling the fish to seize and 
sever the mossbunkers witli great ease. In size the bluefish varies 
greatly, according to season and locality, the ordinary range being from 
fourteen to thirty-two inches in length, and from one pound to fifteen 
pounds in w^eight, though an instance is recorded of the capture of a 
specimen weighing twenty -five pounds. This fish was cauglit in 1874, 
with rod and reel, at Cohasset Narrows, by Mr. L. Hathaway. 

It is a singular fact, noted by naturalists, in various works on ichthy- 
ology, that the appearance of the bluefish along the Atlantic coast of the 
United States nortliward of Carolinas has been irresfular. In southern 



44 



waters the species has perhaps been among- the (iklest finny inliabitants, 
lint the nortliern migration, beginning in early spring, has never been 
regular until within the past sixty years. At present the blnefish ranks 
next to the striped bass in game quahties, among the sea fishes found in 
the vicinit\' of New Vork and Massachusetts, and in the commercia 
fisheries, it is exceeded in \ alue only by the codfish and mackerel. 

The most popular method of fishing for bluefish is squidding or troll- 
ing. This consists in trailing a spoon or squid of ivorv, bone or metal, at 
the end of a line some three hundred feet long, the motive power being 
a fast sailing sloop or cat-boat, handled by a capable seaman. A heavy 
sinker should he attached to the line, and some fishermen use a trolley 
sinker with a large hook set in the end. The schools of bluefish can 
usually be located by the large number of menhatlen jumping from the 
water in their efforts to escape from the pursuers, and the soaring gulls, 
frequently hovering close to the surface to pick up the mangled remains 
of victims killed hut not eaten by the ocean pirates, will also point the way 
for the angler. 

A rising tide is considered the best stage of water for bluefishing, but 
eitlier extreme of the ebb and flood tide may lead on to fishing of good 
quality-. Chumming is a method of fishing also adopted by many sea 
fishers, the style being similar to that employed in surf fishing for striped 
liass. It is said that the bluefish will frequently take the fly — and keep it! 
If you "have any to bestow, he prefers the large ones, of bright and 
assorted colors," thus proving his gay anil festive nature as a blue blooded 
buccaneer of the high seas. The bluefish strikes fiercely, and from the 
instant he is hooked until he is brought to boat the " fun is fast and furi- 
ous." He figlits till the last gasp, sometimes breaking the surface, then 
rushing deep into the ocean caves, and varying his defensive tactics by 
darting from side to side, and occasionally coming forward at full speed, 
overrunning the hooks. Taken all in all (if he is taken at all) the bluefish 
is a game fish of high rank, and a food fish of excellent quality. 



rfOfT'P.^ 




^ ^.jjp=^^ _ 




fHE'sffeC^Et) BASS. 





IT- ^ -^ 



fl^U^^^2g:4^^$^f HE S^ffe^ED 

i'-Mhiie K\ cifnents sweep the banks 
()i \\ a-^U- -the .ijioide^ of Labrador, 
Thc^e finny ra^'riads swarm the seas, 
''Aijd feed by every shore; 
And noblest, bravest of the race, 
^j-^^e Striped bass holds foremost place." 

'°^7i&ovefS'Q|^'\8ea-fishing have very appropriately termed the striped hass 
■" Wfe sa5Ei5&n.''4ztl,the surf." In size, game qualities and as a food fish, the 
strjp'ed bass or rock-fish of the Atlantic coast deservedly ranks with salmo, 
the leaper. Sea fishermen, enthusiastic over the wild sport enjoyed amid 

^le'iocean spray, declare striped bass fishing the grandest and best recrea- 

4ioi'i in the whole realm of angling. 

In appearance, this salt water representative of the bass family is 

-symmetrical and handsome. He is described as " cylindrical, tapering ; 
the upper part of the body of a silver3'-brown color, the lower part of the 
sides and abdomen of a beautiful clear silver color; eight or more longi- 
tudinal black bands on each side, commencing just back of the opercula, 
the upper bands running the whole length of the fish, the lower ones ter- 
minating just above the anal fin." In size, the striped bass ranges from 
one pound to one hundred pounds, and an old angler declares that the 
"delightful uncertainty" in this respect is one of the great charms in this 
b.'anch of fishing, giving ample scope for all the pleasures of hope and 
anticipation. 

The geographical range of the fish is quite extensive along the 
Atlantic coast, but the majority of striped bass taken with liook and line, 
are caught between Cape Cod and Chesapeake Ba)'. In no other kind 
of fishing is there such keen rivalry among anglers for the distinction of 
catchnig the largest specimen of the season — the honor of "high-line" or 
*' high-hook," as it is usually termed, referring to the greatest fish or the 
highest number taken. Records are carefully kept by the principal fishing 
clubs along the Atlantic sea-board, notabl}-, the Cuttj'hunk, Squibnocke, 
Pasque and West Island — showing the weight and number of striped bass 
caught b}' the various members from year to year. These records are 
properly verified, and thus placed outside the category of " fish stories." 
Around Manhattan Island, in the East River, Harlem River, the 
Hudson and New York Bay, are several of the celebrated resorts for 
striped bass fishing. Hell Gate, a turbulent, foaming channel where the 
Harlem joins the East River, is probably the most noted locality for the 
sport in the United States. Several of the prominent angling authorities 



46 



of ^Vmerica — viz.: "Frank Forester," Genio C. Scott, Hon. Robert B. 
Roosevelt and Francis Endicott — derived tlieir practical knowledge of bass 
casting from fishing bouts among the swirling eddies of Hell Gate. Large 
fish were frequently taken tiiere, twentv-five to thirty years ago, but the 
average catches now are much ^maller in numbers and in size, as the fishers 
have increased ten-fokl and the fish liavc decreased in these waters in 
almost like ratio. 

The term " rock-fish " is often appHed to the bass, by reason of the 
pertinacity with which this game fish clings to rocky channels and reefs, 
where the waters are churned into spray and foam by changing winds and 
tide. The smaller liass run together in considerable numbers, and are 
therefore known as school bass, while the larger specimens are more "sub- 
lime and solitary " in their movements. 

Of the various methods of bass-fishing, the prime favorite among 
skilled anglers is surf-fishing, or chumming as it is sometimes called, 
although the "chumming" is reallv the work performed by an assistant, 
in scattering pieces of menhaden broadcast over the \vateis to be fished. 
One of the first requisites to success, on the part of the angler, is the abil- 
ity to make a long and accurate cast in any direction desired. A bona fide 
cast of two hundred and sixty and one-tentli feet was made by Mr. \V. H. 
Wood, at the tournament of the National Rod and Reel Association, at 
Central Park Lake; the tackle being such as is commonly used in bass 
casting, substituting a two and one-half ounce sinker (the average weight 
of a lobster tail or menhaden bait), in place of the ordinary lure. A cast 
of less than one hundred feet is seldom successful in surf fishing for striped 
bass, and long casting will always win, other chances being equal. The 
angler uses a strong pliant rod, nine or ten feet long, with a large triple 
multiplving reel holding about four hundred feet of line, best linen make. 

The bass fisher usually takes his stand on a small platfoi'm, a short 
distance from shore, enabling him better to reach the haunt of the striped 
bass at flood tide. Poising his rod, and throwing it back \\ ith perhaps 
three feet of line for play, the angler makes a slow but firm movement 
forward of the tip, the hue spins out rapidly in a graceful cur^•e, and the 
bait falls easily some two himdred feet awav. When hooked, the striped 
bass is game to tine last, and the acrobatic feats lie performs, leaping, div- 
ing, darting here and there amona: iagged rocks, struggling for libertv like 
a runaway race horse with tlie bits between his teeth, give the excited 
angler no rest till the fight is won — or lost. 

Trolling for bass is another popular stvle, sometimes with the lod, and 
occasionallv witli tlie line and bait trailed behind the boat. The veteran 
Louis O. Van Doren says of a peculiar method of fishing witnessed by 




himself : "Often we see a solitar}' boatman leisurely rowing and holding a 
long and heav}' line in his teeth (a sure sign, I take it, that they are his 
own). How any one's jaws can stand such a strain, I do not know; no 
doubt though, enthusiasm gives them three-fold strength. I have seen 
such a lone fisherman rowing along with the stillness and imperturbable 
gravity of a sphinx, suddenly drop his oars, take the wet line from between 
his teeth and after a struggle, bring to his basket a three or four-pound 
striped bass. Imagine what a tooth-pulling strike such a fish must have 
made." 

Flj'-fishing, too, may be successfully practiced for a limited season 
and undei' favorable conditions of wind and water ; but trolling and surf- 
casting are the^ethods emploj'ed by most anglers in striped bass fishing. 
Either style should, in the proper season, afford sport exciting enough to 
satisfy the most ambitious fisher. 

Of the localities for striped bass fishing, brief mention has been made. 
Outside of the immediate vicinitv of New York City, some of the noted 
.places are Martb-a^, Vinej'ard, Block Island, Montauk Point, the Elizabeth 
Islands (iaGliiding/celebrated Cuttyhunk) and the rocky shores of Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey. Along the coast in the sections 
indicated, lovers of sea-fishing are in ecstacies when the run of the salmon 
, of the surf is at its height, usually in August and September. 

THE MANGROVE SNAPPER. 

.^.irong be the tackle, for the saw-like teeth 

:ut youF.,aS-Hk^wpiH« gut like razor edge, 




c^ 



d firiiT the-bajKl (he mangrove to beguile 
rom submerged roots, else hook and fish are lost, 
For swift it rushes for its secret hole. 
And fights and struggles hard while life remains." 

This species of fish, a native of southern waters, derives its name 
from the habit of hiding under the submerged roots of the mangrove, 
where it lies in wait for its prey, usually the small mullet. It is not a fish 
of active habits, but is very shy, and the usual method of fishing for this 
species is to make long casts from the boat, allowmg the bait to drop and 
sink near the holes which it frequents. 

The mangrove snapper bears quite a striking resemblance to the 
small-mDuthed black bass, and like its fresh water cousin is an excellent 
game fish. The ordinar}' size is from one-half pound to five pounds, but 
under favorable conditions it grows considerable larger, up to perhaps ten 
pounds. It feeds freely at night, and in cloudy weather, and furnishes 
good sport for the angler if he can keep it away from the roots, its natural 
shelter, for which a rush is made as soon as the hook is felt. 



48 



THE BOXITO. 

" In all the warmer waters of the world. 
The skip-jack swarming shoals are seen, 
Where the Sardinian Island rest. 
In Mediterranean tides serene. 
And where the tumbling billo\vs pour. 
Along America's southern shore; 
While dense by rockv northern coast 
Wanders the countless host." 

From Ills general resemblance to the miickerel famih, the Iiymt^S 
skip-jack, is often palmed off upon unwary purchasers as the i^eunu 
Spanish mackerel, although the latter is far superior as a game fj&h ami ^ 
a table delicacy. The bonito is coarser in every respect — in form, ^i\.at^S^ 
flavor, and the angler easily detects the difference in species. 2&^'^- 

Although heavier in proportion to its size than the Spanish maCKerel, 
the bonito is still a symmetrical fish, swift in its movements, and a bold 
biter. In color it is of a dark lead tint on the head and sides, while under- 
ncatli it is an ashen gray. The fins are dark-blue, except the ventral fins, 
which are white. Six or eight stripes, parallel, run along the sides of the 

fish. 

The bonito tisnally reaches the northern shores in August and Sep- 
tember, at the same time and frequently in company with the bluefish. 
Anglers often take the bonito while fishing for bluefish, as it will snap at 
the same bait, and in fact makes almost as desperate resistatice when on 
tile line. 

Trolling is the principal, almost the only method of angling for the 
skip-jack, and when time and tide, wind and weather, are favorable, the 
sport is sufRcientl}' exciting. During the two summer months mentioned, 
the bonito is C|uite abundant as far north as Cape Cod, and in no waters of 
similar latitude is it more plentiful in season than in Massachusetts Bay. 




THE BLACKFISH. 

" Wherever by extended shore 
The rough rocks sow the salty deep, 
Wherever kelp and seaweed cling 
And crab and starfish crawl and creep, 
The blackfish find a lurking place, 
Deep in the waters at their base." 

Although not highly prized as a game fish by scientific anglers, the 
blackfish or tautog is an important member of the finnj' tribe, an excellent 
food fish, and a ready biter to reward the efforts of juvenile fishers along 
the wharves. 



49 



The blackfish, as indicated by the name, has a black tinge, especially 
along the back, fading to gi'ay on the sides; the head is large, the back 
arched, giving the fish a clnmsy appearance, bnt he resists capture in a 
vigorous manner, and the larger specimens, ten to twelve pounds in 
weight, are considered prizes even by expert anglers. 

As the tautog is one of the earliest of sea fishes to visit Northern 
watei's, arriving in April and remaining until late in October, it is a 
familiar favorite with the boys and with anglers of larger growth who do 
not hold tenaciously to the creed that no fish are worth angling for except 
those that will rise to surface lures. The blackfish feeds along the bottom, 
iu swift, rocky tideways, and narrow channels — the Harlem Kills and little 
Hell Gate being famous resorts for New Yorkers fond of tautog fishing, 
though in recent years the species is not found in large numbers near the 
metropolis. 

The best bait for this kind of fishing are sandworm?, clams or fiddler 
crabs; the hook should be of heavy wire, and rest within perhaps a foot 
of the bottom. With such appliances — similar to the tackle used for weak- 
fishing — good numbers of blackfish may be taken at Montauk Point, at 
Barnegat, off Long Branch or Rockawa^'. 



THE KINGFISH. 

"Off where the slender light-house lifts, 

Like sheeted ghost, above the surge, 
Casting its warning flames at night 

Far to the dim horizon's verge. 
Round sunken reef and hidden rock 

Where shells and sands inlay the floor 
Of ocean, there the kingfish glide 

And the sea's secret worlds explore." 

In Southern waters, where the kingfish is abundant, it is known as the 
whiting, and in other localities it is termed the barb, but under whatever 
name it may be designated it is a dainty morsel for the epicure and a gal- 
lant fish for the angler. Fifty years ago, when William T. Porter, " Frank 
Forester," Dr. Bethune, Genio C. Scott, and William C. Prime formed a 
famous angling coterie in the Atlantic metropolis, the kingfish was found 
in abundance in the vicinity of New York City. Now it is comparatively 
scarce in tliat locality, but in South Bay and off the New Jersey coast it is 
found in fair numbers during the sun:imer season. 

For its size, as compared to other species, the kingfish is one of the 
gamest inhabitants of the sea. It is long and tapei'ing, and is distin- 
guished for the size of the first dorsal fin, which is high, and adorned. 




jautiml, varying from a 



with a long rav. In colors the khigtish is be 

silvery red on the back to blueish white on the abdomen, and the fins are 

brown, olive and \ellow. 

In angling for kingtish the tackle is \er\- similar to that nsed for 
wcakfish, and the favorite baits are sandwornis or shedder crabs. Al- 
though not a large fish — the range in size being from one to five pounds 
— the kingfish is gamv in natiu-e, taking the bait boldl\-, aiul, when 
hooked, sti'uggling bravely until brought to boat. The incoming tide is 
best for the sport, and off tlie Southern coast the localities for fishing are 
numerous. In the North the best known points for this branch of ang- 
ling are Long Hranch, Barnegat Inlet, Atlantic Citv and the snuth shore 
of Long Island. 



SPA.XI.SIl MACKEREL. 

" Lo\'eiiest of all the tribes that swim 

The ocean's salty tides, 
The Spanish mackerel sweeps the seas, 

And like a meteor glides; 
It speeds far off the harbor bar. 

Where tides are cool and deep, 
Shunning the shoals that skirt the shore. 

Where the swift bluefish leap." 

In delicacv and beauty of color anil outline the Sjianish mackerel 
might lie found worthy the title of the ocean grayling — lacking that dis- 
tinctive mark, the banner-like dorsal fin. The fish is very symmetrical in 
foim, and the tail or caudal tin is deeph' forketl, gixing an appearance of 
swiftness \yhich is in keeping with its movements. It is not often taken 
by anglers off the coast of the Eastern or New England states, as the 
fish is found usually in deep waters, farther from sliorc than the liluefish 
or striped bass, and is therefore more difficult to locate or pursue. Farther 
south the fish is more freiiuently caught, the tackle and style being similar 
to those used in fishing for bluefish. 

Mr. Van Doren, a \ eteran salt water angler, savs of mackerel fishing: 
" Though sometimes caught by fishermen while bluefishing, yet when a 
trip is made especially for mackerel it is best to change flie bluefish tackle, 
substituting a smaller spoon and lighter sinker. The Spanish mackerel 
takes the bait with a snap, makes a short and gallant fight, and when he 
yields, gi\'es up thoroughly, having no more struggle in him. Off the 
Southern coast, the captiu'e of .Spanish mackerel with hook and line is 
practiced frequently and with success. The baits nsed are the same as in 
bluefishing, and the months when the mackerel a]3pear on the Jersey and 
New York coast are August and .September." 



.SI 



THE SHEEPSHEAD. 

"Patient and motionless he waits, 
Unmindful of all meaner prize; 
His hand upon the humming line, 
Fixed on his task his eager eyes; 
The flashing bluefish may rush by, 
The pig-like porpoise tumble near. 
The dusky shark may lash the foam. 
And sturgeon from the wave leap clear. 
He heeds not — but awaits the jerk 
Of sheepshead, down below that lurk." 

It is for the hotel perhaps more than for the hook that the sheepshead 
is prized, but there is considerable skill required and a fair amount of 
excitement found in fishing for this species. The natne is derived from 
the appearance of the mouth and projecting teeth, givmg the fish power to 
"graze" on the molluscs which adhere to rocks, sunken logs, stakes, etc. 
This peculiarity is taken advantage of by natives along the Virginia coast 
who form pens by driving split stakes into the bottom of the sounds or 
inlets, arranging these stakes in a circle or square, and the molluscs attached 
thereto form an irresistible attraction for the sheepshead during the annual 
run or migration of the fish. 

The fish issoinewhat uncouth in appearance, with its large head, huge 
projecting teeth and back arched in a great hump, a large dorsal fin run- 
ning nearly the entire length, armed with strong sharp spines which can 
be raised or lowered at will. The sheepshead is beautiful in color, how- 
ever, and is a rare delicacj' as an article of food — these qualities relieving 
the fish of the charge of absolute ugliness. 

A stout rod — similar in size to the striped bass rod — a multiplying 
reel, braided linen line, with swivel and tracing sinker, a double gut leader, 
a stout hook with short shank, baited with shedder crab or soft clam, will 
be found a good outfit for still fishing, the usual method of catching sheeps- 
head at Barnegat, Rockaway Beach, Long Branch, Atlantic City, South 
Bay, and other popular angling resorts. A taut line is necessaiy to enable 
the angler to feel the slightest nibble, as the sheepshead is a cautious 
feeder. 




'^iltex--^: 




There were knights of shot-gun and rirte, 

Disciples of rod and the reel, 
Each telling some tale as a trifle 

To add to the company's weal. 
There were stories of camping and shoo|ing, 

All told with abandon and zest, 
But the fish tales seem'd to be suiting 

The taste of the brotherhood best. 

.-4 ■: 



... ' "f 




A joih ])art\ iifi aiiLjlers, eminent 
in their respective lines of business, arrd = 
eqitallv famous for skljll 4n casting^ their 
;fishiiij4- lines in pleashlTt' -^aces, had 
assembled on tiie bauR!{'':-™f^"the gp:«st 
XaniL-less Ri\ <.i:jj|-'^he North, and were 
enjoying the |.;l0rious sport to be had 

^^v.-jiU. h e. \' i ci*st5E'(:V.f ^ J nuvg4-t!i«tkm.sjBag^^. 1 1_ 
was iiKLttmbent upon each -nigfliSer to tell 
" an o'er true tale," or fish stDty^ before 
-Jji-eakincr camiT, and +ii€ following col- 
lection froin the records of the historian 
of the part^-, can^ijer taken cum grano 
sa/i's, or with due faith in the everlast- 
ing truth of fishing fables in general, 

' i'/'M'l ■*"'' tiiese in particular. 



WONDERFUL LEAP OF A SALMON. 



One of the old members of the club, Mr. A. W. Courtney, 
related the following story. Living, as I do, in the city of Buffalo, 
I have had many opportunities for fishing in Lake Erie, and enjoyed 
some exciting sport there, but the most thrilling experience of my 
life in the fishing line was in the rapids below Niagara Falls. Probably 
few anglei's are aware of the fact that in years gone by salmon could be 
found in comparative abundance all along the Niagara River, up to the 
falls. Perhaps the salmon have vanished there now, as I understand is 
the case in the Hudson, where the salmon fishing was good in my boy- 
hood. I was a rather wild and reckless youth, given to daring exploits, 
and it was an ordinary aixiusement of mine to fish the Niagara River in a 
birch bark canoe. My familiarity with the sunken rocks and my skill in 
avoiding the wildest whirlpools enabled me to escape the fate of Capt. 
Webb, and other unfortunate adventurers. _^ 

On one occasion I hooked a very large salmon, and 
contrary to the usual custom or habit of the species, he took 
his course directly up stream toward the falls, and I failed 
to check him, though I exerted the fullest resistance of the 
rod and line. As we neared the falls, I felt confident thfit he 
would turn, but he still rushed onward until I could ieel\ the 
spray of the great cataract in m)' face, and note its powe$3|f^ 
magnetic attraction drawing my frail craft into the awfiil 
vortex of boiling waters. 

In my experiments I had contemplated the possi^itv^of 
such a calamity as this, and was prepared to avoid i* • Along 
the bottom of the canoe was a strong hickory sLtd, perhaps 
half an inch in thickness, and running the full length of fhe .]] 
boat. In the center I had placed a powerful spiral spring^/ 



!l 



covered by a circular piece of wood one foot ijj^ 'diamet 
Stepping upon this I touched a side lever, and was tlirown 
into the air with amazing force, at a slight angle, as I had 
previously adjusted the spring with coolness and precision^ 
estimating that it would carr}' me to the immense rock^^ the 
brink of the falls. ' ^^-*=--' ,, 

The force was barely sufficient to throw me upon the rock,;^wh,ere 
found a foothold, and having eased the line whitfli went sf)inning from th^ 
reel with amazing velocity, during my ascent, I was prepared to continu' 
the battle with the salmon. After a short run down the stream the salmon^ 





54 



turned, ;md whfii some twelve feet distant fiom tlic foot of the falls made 
the most wonderful leap ever recorded, striking^ the water again just above 
the ciest, and my multiplying reel served its purpose excellently, giving 
the tish very little, if any, slack line. To make a long story short, I will 
nicrelv adtl that the salmon was quite exhausted with his wonderful effort, 
antl was drawn almost unresistingly into my landing net, which I had 
fastened at mv belt and loosened for the occasion, just as the giant game 
fish turned upon his side and would have floated down the cataract if I had 
not taken him in just at the right instant. 

My adventure was witnessed by l)ut a few people, only one of whom 
is now living; but I alwavs bless their memory for the aid rendered in 
rescuing me from mv ]5erilous position. If any skeptic doubts the accuracy 
of my story in a single detail, I can refer him to the life-like picture drawn 
up(jn the spot liy an artist who witnessed the affair, and through whose 
kindness the picture will be reproduced in the faithful chronicle of ad\en- 
tures by sea and shore. 




A FIGHT WITH A BROOK TROUT. 

You have all no doubt heartl of the monster 
trout of the Maine lakes, where they grow to 
an almost fabulous size, quietly remarked Dr. A. 
T. Sandeti, of New York. I had an adventure 
up there last season, and can vouch for the game 
cpialities of the brook trout in that region. I was 
fishing in one of the Rangeley lakes, and had 
caught perhaps fifty trout of large size, but my 
^ - '-""^iiZ-^ " ambition was, if possible, to break the record. 

^ ^ After expeiimenting with the various flies, which 

I carried in \w\ fly book, I at last selected a large 
and gaudv one, nearly equaling a salmon fly in size, and made a cast in 
a locality where the guide assured me some of the largest trout con- 
gregated. 

A rise and strike immediately followed. I knew by the vigorous 
manner in which the trout took the fly that I had a fine gamy fish at the 
end of the line. Such rushes and wild leaps for liberty you perhaps never 



55 



■ h::-. 



savv. All the tactics familiar to experienced anglers were 
tried in this battle for supremacy, and at the end of half an 
hour I was nearl}' exhausted. I stood in the bow of the 
skiff, and the trout in his swift g3'rations would sj)in me 
round and round until 1 felt dizzy and weak. Then again 
he would leap from the water, sometimes jumping over 
the boat, and apparently trying to entangle the line about 
my neck for the purpose of strang- 
ling me. Sometimes he would leap 
back and forth, forming a perfect 
curve perhaps fifty feet m extent, and 
his^ n:^yemftfits*>were so rapid that I 
seemed to see a rainbow of colors before mj' 
eyes. Once he struck the boat, and the shock 
nearly threw me overboard. 

The guide shared mj' excitement but man- 
aged to keep an outward show^ of coolness, and his dexterity in guiding 
the boat prevented it from being overturned. At last, after a series of 
fierce struggles the trout was brought within reach of the lauding net, and 
carefully lifted into the boat, where we found b)^ using the pocket scales 
which I had brought with me that the fish weighed a full half pound, and 
I have always believed that he was e\cn heavier when making his fight. in 
the water. 



A COAT TAIL AND FISH TALE. 



i^^^^^U^^^s^^ 



-Vj_ 



^ 


w^ 


S^^ 




S-fe- 






~-^ _ 


*'^t 


' 





Well, I never had any great luck in fishing, said 
Mr. George H. Reager, of Philadelphia, but I once had 
a rather peculiar experience down on the Lj'coming in 
Pennsylvania, with mj' friend Sylvanus. We spent 
the whole forenoon fishing, but the sun shone hot, and 
neither of us had caught, a fin. Finally I stopped for 
lunch, put m}' basket on the bank, and sat down on a 
log over the stream, in a shaded nook. I hadn't been 
there a minute wlien I felt a jerk at my coat tail, but I 
knew it was my fiuend, trying to startle or scare me, so 
I refused to look around. I just gave my coat a pull 
and loosened it, anil then went on with my lunch. 

This happened several times, until finally my 
patience was exhausted and I jerked my coat tail away 



56 



spitefiilh" and turned to give Svlvamis a lectuie for his nonsense, but bless 
you, he wan't there. Then I looked up at mv basket on tlie bank, and to 
my surprise it was full of fine trout. Every time I had jerked mv coat 
tail I flopped a fish into the basket, for I found that the barbless hook, 
baited with an angleworm, \vas hanging oht through a rent in mv pocket 
with about a foot of line, and I had been doing a good stroke at still fish- 
ing without knowing it — "and a very good record for the 'Lie-Coming 
River,' too," interrupted a listener. 



THE REMARKABLE TROUT FRY. 






That is somewhat similar to an incident which I recall, said Mi'. .S. B. 
Smith, of Dauchv's Agencv, one of the quiet men of the partv. Three 
of us, schoolboy chums, were trout fishing in northern New York, and the 
duties of cook were filled in rotation by each of our trio. On the day 
referred to, I filled the position of cooi<, and arose earlv to prepare break- 
fast. I partially kindled a camp fire, stuck the keen-pointed, sharp-bladed 
knife through an overhanging branch, and underneath this placed a board 
at an angle, and drew a rough outline of a man, with a silver spoon fastened 
in the crevice representing the mouth. 

After this boyish prank, designed to amuse mv comrades when they 
should come out of the tent, I hung the frving pan above the slow fii-e, 
and proceeded to the stream, some ten vards av\'av, hoping to catch a few 
trout for breakfast. I fislied by main strength, not by skill, in those days, 
and although three large trout seized the hook in rapid succession, I lost 
every one bv yanking the rod fiercely and sending the fish spinning thiough 
the air, tearing the barb loose. 

Becoming discouraged, I was about to return to tlie tent, when Rob, 
j^ . . who had come to the camp-fire, told me to look out for 

i^'.^^- ...x.L"J' t'lc frving fish or they would be burned to a crisp. 

Each of the trout I had Jiooked went in a semicircle, 
struck the sharp point of the projecting knife, v\'hich 
opened the fish neatly, and in sliding down the board 
the viscera was removed bv the spoon, so that all fell 
into the frying pan, properly dressed for company, 
?>c.-and done brown for the table, when I returned. 







■^r? 

m. 



> ■/■'/■ :- 



57 



AN AIRY FISHING TOUR. 

My fishing propensity, said A. L. Thomas, of Lord & Thomas, proved 
to be the foundation of m}' fortune. Bv inclination, almost b}' instinct in 
fact, I am opposed to shooting or fishing for the markets, but in the instance 
referred to, I think you will all agree with me that my course was entirel)' 
proper. I was one of the pioneers in the Lake Region of Minnesota, and 
owned a small farm, but like many frontiersmen my tastes led me to 
indulge more in the wild sports of the West than in the occupation of a 
farmer. In one of the lakes, near my farm, the pike grew to large size, 
and on two occasions I had hooked a monster which broke awa^', leaving 
me vexed and more determined than ever to catch him. Finally I decided 
to put out a long string of set lines running nearly across the lake, and 
having no special use for a large quantit)- of fish, I intended to liberate all 
except the big pike, which I was after. 

I rose earl}' the next morning after setting my lines, and found an 
immense flock of wild geese on the lake. There was a great fluttering 
and commotion as I drew near, and upon loosening the rope upon which 
the short lines v\'ere attached, the entire flock of geese rose into the air. I 
had fastened the rope to my wrist, intending to haul in the fish, but to my 
astonishment many of the hooks had been taken by the geese, and I was 
carried up into the air trailing after the largest assemblage of fish and fowl 
I had ever seen. The geese rose to a dizzy height, and then started 
directly for the North Pole, as nearly as I could estimate. 

My position was not a pleasant one, though it was sufficiently exciting. 
After flying several miles in this manner, the weight of the fish and myself 
seemed to tire the geese, for they graduall}' settled down, and finally, much 
to my relief, the rope became tangled in a huge branch of a hollow tree, 
which had been broken off at the top. Into this hollow tree I fell to the 
depth of perhaps ten feet, and discovered that I was standing knee deep 




ill lioneycomb, though foitiiiiatolv the bees had forsaken the tree. The 
rope had become loosened from my arm, and I saw no prospect of escap- 
ing from my strange prison. Suddenly I heard a pi-odigious scratching 
and scrambling outside, and looking np saw a large bear descending back- 
ward into the hollow tree. I drew mv knife, and as the bear came within 
reach, grasping him tirml}', made a sharp stab whicii had the effect of 
starting bruin out again. As he reached the top, I took a firm hold with 
one liantl and with the other pushed the bear forcibly, oyerl>alanciug him 
so that he fell to the ground, striking on his head, and his neck cracked with 
a report like a pistol. 

I then gathered my scattered senses (together with the geese and fish), 
and was delighted to find that my home was onh- a mile distant. By the 
aitl of my horses and wagon I collected the fish and game, shippeil them 
to the best market, and from the proceeds of this shipment and the money 
received for a ton of first-class honey, I established m3self in business. 
From that day to this I liaye been able, wheneyer it was necessary, to 
catcii my fish with a silver hook. 



A STRANGE ARTIFICIAL GROWTH. 

Not many years ago, said Mr. Frank Alden, of Cincinnati, I owned 
a private fish preserve, and was foml of making experiments of various 
kinds in fish culture. A favorite hobby of mine was to observe and 
record the growth of different species each year. In doing this I fastened 
a metallic tag to the fish, describing the date, conditions and size of the 
specimen. As a novelty I once attached a brass whistle to a small black 
bass, weighing one pound, and one year later caught the same fish, and 
\yas surprised to observe a most wonderful phenomenon. Not one of \ on 
could guess the remarkable change that had taken place in that length of 
time. No, the weight of the fish had not increased so greatly as you 
suppose, in fact, the fish still weighed one pound, but the whistle had 
increased in size and tone to a large fog horn. 



\>t 



-*»■, 






{m. 




A SOMEWHAT REMARKABLE STORY. 

I was passing down Main street, in Rochester, New York, a few 
daj^s ago, said Mr. Palmer of the H. H. Warner Co., of tirat city, and my 
attention was attracted bv a large crowd in front of one of tlie prominent 
restaurants ; edging my way into the crowd, I belield a large washtnb 
filled with some of the finest specimens of black bass I had ever seen. A 
jjlacard informed the observer that these black bass had been caught by 
Mr. John M. Ives, of our company, a day or so before in a creek fifteen 
feet wide, near Oak Orchard, a countrj' village, about forty miles from 
Rochester. 

Being a lover of game fishing I stepped in to critically examine the 
fish ; after the closest scrutin)' I failed to discover a single mark on any of 
the fish that would indicate they had been caught with a fish hook, and I 
imme d i ately 
mind that Mr. 



friend of his 
the fish in a 
hastened over 
establish m e n t 
Ives, and our 
was as f o 1 - <J 

" Hello, 
are pretty nice 




made up my 
Ives or some 
had caught 
seine, and I 
to the Warner 
and met Mr. 
conversation 
lows : 

John, those 
fish over there 



in the window on Main street, and I am puzzled to know how you caught 
them, for I cannot find a hook mark on them." 

" Well the fact is, I was rowing up the stream at night with a lantern 
brightly burning on the seat before me ; I felt something strike the 
bottom of the boat, and upon investigation found it to be a five-pound 
bass. Before I could recover from my surprise another bass fell in the same 
manner, and this strange phenomenon continued quite a while. You see 
the fish were attracted by the bright light, and the)' jumped out of the 
water at it, and fell m the boat." 

" This is all right John, but is it not remarkable that the fish did not 
jump clear over the boat?" 

" Not at all. You see I was rowing in the center of the stream and 
the fish jumped in from both sides at the same time, striking their heads 
together while over the boat, and fell in an insensible condition. They 
kept up this strange proceeding mitil the oil in the lantern gave out, and 
the light disappeared. I am well satisfied that I could have caught a great 
many more if the light had lasted longer." 



60 



This story may souiul lather strange to any person not acquainted 
with Mr. Ives, but if there be any " doubting Tliomases," I would say 
that Mr. Ives will not only vouch for this story, as being the truth, but he 
is in a position to prove it bevond a shadow of doubt, as I have seen the 
lantern myself; and Mr. Ives, if necessary, will make an affidavit that the 
lantern is now in his possession, this convincing evidence removing every 
question as to the truthfulness of this story. 



THE MUSICAL BASS. 

The freaks of nature, both in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, 
including of course the little fishes in the brook, seem to me really marvel- 
ous, said J. L. Stack, the St. Paul Advertising Agent. For instance, at 
Delhvood lake in Minnesota, which I have owned for many j-ears past, 
an incident occurred that has entirely changed the habits and characteristics 
of the black bass inhabiting it. About ten years ago my partner and myself 
were capsized while sailing, and by a singular coincidence each of us lost 
a fine gold watch. These watches were exactly alike, and a mnsical 
attachment playing the air of "A Life on the Ocean Wave," had been 
placed in the chromometers b\' special order. The watches were stem 
winders, and this particular tune was played each hour in the day. 

Of course we both supposed our watches were lost beyond recovery, 
but last season wiiile fishing in the lake, after an absence of several A-ears 
from that locality, I caught a monster bass, and you can imagine m}- aston- 
ishment at finding my watch snugly stowed away in the department of the 
interior. More singular still, it was in perfect order, keeping accurate 
time, for by some peculiar mo\'ement on the part of the fish, the watch had 
been kept constantly wound up. I found by comparing the time with the 
watch I carried at the hour of catching the fish that it had not varied two sec- 
onds during all the years it had been carried by the bass. The chain, bj' 
the wa}', the bass carried in a sort of negligee fashion, partly hanging 
through his gill. 

But the most wonderful part of the whole affair I discovered later, 
after catching a few more bass in the same localit)-. It appears that my 
partner's watch had also been swallowed by a black bass, and in course of 
time, through the mysteries of scientific propagation, this musical watch 
attachment had become hereditary, and every black bass taken in that lake 
was found to be his own timekeeper, and occasionally the fish danced the 
Fisher's Hornpipe to their own music in a most amusing manner. 

A 




THE ADVERTISING FISH. 

Several years ago, when I was living in 
Texas, I had a somewhat unusual experience, 
quietly j-emarked Mr. Wm. C. Hunter, advertis- 
ing manager of Boyce's Big Weeklies. I am a 
hunter by nature as well as by name, and spend a 
considerable time in sport with tlie gun and rod. 
On the occasion referred to I was in the Indian 
Territory, the guest of " a squaw man" at 
Eufala, and we started on a fishing trip in the 
Choctaw nation. Arriving at our destination 
we prepared to worry the festive bass. No 
sooner did I cast than a large 5%^-pound bass 
jumped out of the water and took the liook in 
ten minutes I landed him. I held him up to show my friend, when I noticed 
a peculiar marking on the belly of the fish, caused by the veins showing- 
through the skin. In a moment mj' friend caught a bass about the same 
size and similarly marked. Upon looking at the strange marking we 
found the veins formed the letters BpW. We tried in vain to solve the 
meaning of the veins and started to fish again, and in three hours we 
caught ninety-three bass, everj' one marked the same as the first two. I 
never solved the enigma until about three years ago I told the stor}' to Mr. 
Boyce, and he smilingly informed me that the letters represented the words : 
Blade, Ledger, World — Best Paying Weeklies. I saw the connection at a 
glance. 

Mr. Boyce is up to all new schemes for advertising, and I would like 
to know whether he "fixed " the advertising fish, or whether it \vas simplj- 
a freak of nature, calling the attention of sportsmen to a well-known fact 
among advertisers. 



A LIVELY SPIRIT OF SPIRIT LAKE. 

I once had quite a severe fright while fishing by moonlight on Spirit 
Lake, Iowa. I was usually quite successful in night fishing, and as my 
business kept me from enjoying the sport during the day time, I nearly 
always devoted a few hours each evening to angling, said Mr. C. E. Ray- 
mond, of Chicago. On the night referj'ed to, a large fish — apparently — 
seized the hook, and then began the most remarkable struggle I ever ex- 
perienced. Sometimes the creature was out of the water, sailing along with 
flapping wings of fins for a distance of fifteen or twent}' yards, when it 
would dive again, all the time making the most vigorous attempts to 



62 



" 5 



o 



3- o 




escape, my line meanwhile humming a verv livelv reel. When in the air 
it would uttei- a weird and mournful sound that could be heard for miles. 
I am not naturally superstitious, but this caused nervous chills to creep 
over me, as the legends of Spirit Lake were of such a character that I 
imagined I might have caught the ghost of some departed lake monster. 
Finally, after about fifteen minutes, the creature was secured, and I dis- 
covered it to be a large loon, while the attendant excitemsnt nearly made 
me a lunatic. 



FUN WITH FLYING FISH. 



Mr. Lyman D. jNIorse, of the Bates & Morse Agency, considered the 
the most unassuming member of the club, told the following modest tale: 
For the benefit of niv health I took an ocean vovage, a few years ago, 
and to fully enjoy my trip I carried a complete outfit for fishing and shoot- 
ing. Our ship was a sailing vessel, and we lay becalmed for a week on 
the line of the equator, with the midsummer sun fairly boiling the sur- 
face of the ocean, so that it seemed like an immense seething cauldron. 
This condition of affairs was very monotonous to everyone except the 
cook, who made the best of it by doing a little deep-sea fishing every day, 
and cooking his fish in the ocean brine as he held them at the top of the 
water for a moment. 



. TKe^flving fish were too sharp to be caught by still fishing, and too 
syf'ift , to be lingering around near the boiling point, which was only 
^b^ut a foot in depth. Large schools of these fish could be seen in 
ng up through the hot surface water, and cooling 
their fins and bodies bv a long flight in the 
shadow of our sails. The fish became quite soci- 
able, and evidently had a larger degree of intelli- 
gence than most members of the finny tribe. 

To while away the time it occurred to me 
that we might have some amusement by attaching 
small flags to the fish which we caught, and in a 
short time \ve produced a combination which gave 
a surprising effect by starting a dozen different 
fish from the boat at one time, with the emblems 
of twelve different nations. The fish evidently 
enjoyed the sport, and \vould return voluntarily 
to be placed in line and take a new flight, with 
waving banners in the air. 



65 




AN EYE FOR AN EYE. 



Mr. J. B. Rose, of Chicago, known as the modest man of the chib, 
told the following- story : In m\' youth I \vas a more persistent and enthu- 
siastic angler than at the present time, and I shall always keep vividly in 
mind the exciting incident I am about to relate. After completing my 
college course I devoted three months' time to out-door sports, principally 
fishing, and during m^' rambles with the rod, located a very large fish in a 
deep pool, below the rapids of White River, so called on account of the 
breakers and foam along the frequent cascades. 

I had observed, on more than one occasion, the huge form of this fish, 
alwaj-s in the same pool, breaking the surface as he feasted on the natural 
flies, or leaping in play when the rising or setting sun tinged the waters, 
but he seemed insensible to the attraction of my best lures, and most taking 
ways. My summer outing was nearlv over, and I determined on a final 
effort to catch the king of the pool. As I approached the spot I observed 
that he was taking his morning meal in dignified leisure, but to mv con- 
sternation a colored gentleman of African descent was just preparing to 
cast his primitive hook and line, he being partially shielded from view by 
the overhanging boughs and a huge boulder which intervened between us. 
The colored angler evidentl}' had the right of way in the fishing line, 
and I decided to watch developments. His bait was a live minnow, and he 
prepared w'ith due deliberation to make his cast where the large fish had 
been rising. His first cast was unsuccessful, and he retrieved the line by 
jerking the pole backward, evidently intending to throw his bait a little 
further up the stream at the next attempt. His whole mind and energy 
seemed bent on the capture of the fish, and subsequent developments 
proved the mastery of mind over matter. By some means the pole struck an 

overhanging branch in its backward 
cast, and the line wasdiverted from the 
course intended. The minnow was 
jerked from the hook, which flew 
backward and struck the angler 
f tirly in the eye. The pain must 
have been excruciating, but so intent 




was he upon the work before hhii that the forward cast ^vas made exactly 
in accordance with his orisjinal intention, the eye was jerked from its 
socket and fell in the ^vatel• at the spot which he had intended to reach 
with the minnow. The fish seized it eagerly, and then began a most 
remarkable liattle which ended, by my assistance, in the capture of 
the tish. 

Daring my college course I had made a special study of the human 
eye, with the intention of becoming an oculist, and the knowledge thus 
gained proved of great value to me in this emergency. Fortunately my 
case of instruments had lieen placed in mv coat pocket, and observing 
that the eye of the fish was almost identical in size and color with that of 
the angler, 1 determined to make a remarkable experiment in surgery. 
Carefully removing the e\e from the fish, I placed it in the socket from 
which the negro's lacerated optic had been torn, and connected the 
severed nerve so deftly that within a few minutes, the negro was able 
to take a glance at the fish with the borrowed exe taken from the fish 
captured. At the present time scarcely any difference can be detected 
in the eyes of the colored angler, except that the one transplanted from 
the fish has a slight " cast" in it. 

BUFFALO SHOOTING OX THE WING. 



Perhaps you never heard of shooting buffalo on the wing, said Mr. 
Conrad Budke, of St. Louis. I do not, of course, mean the wild buffalo 
recently described in the Satu>-day Blade, referring to a long-lost herd dis- 
covered somewhere out West. The kind I have reference to is the buffalo 
fish, to be found in the Southwest. It is one of the ganiest fish in Louisi- 
ana. The bayous overflow all the flat country, which at certain seasons is 
covered to a depth of about twelve inches, affording excellent feeding 
grounds for the buffalo fish. 

The local sportsmen and planters manage to have excellent sport in 
this way : On finding a herd — I mean a school — of buffalo fish, the 
chase begins. Upon reaching the board fences, which run across the over- 
flowed fields, the fish take flying leaps, and gunners stationed along the 
line pick them off by snap shots. Some of the expert shooters use repeat- 
it is very exciting spoit, 

\ 



ing rifles, and 
e s p e c i a 1 1 V 
from thewater 
fences, the 
heaps, and 
ins; aloiiCT the 




when the buffalo, arising 
on all sides, fly over the 
boats, submerged brush 
even the dwarf trees grow- 
lowlands. 



67 



A GOOD ELECTRIC EEL. 

Dr. R. V. Pierce, of Buffalo, gave the following interesting stor}' : I 
do not, as a rule, reveal anj' of my business secrets, but as we are all brother 
anglers, and as my success in life is so closely identified with fish and fish- 
ing, I will relate a little story, ' not necessarih' for publication, but as a guar- 
antee of good faith,' — to use the newspaper phrase. Many years ago, 
before I became a practicing phj^sician and specialist, I was fishing in a 
certain locality which it is not necessary to name, as I might by so doing 
give some shrewd practitioner a chance to establish himself as a competitor 
in the same line of business with myself. 

After making a moderate catch I was about to give up fishing for the 
day, when a strange fish took mjr bait, and upon attempting to remove it 
from the hook I received a shock which convinced me that I had captured 
an electric eel, or more correctly, perhaps, an electric eel had captured me. 
The violence of the electric shock nearl}' prostrated me, but I recovered 
sufKcientl}' to remove the eel from the hook, .using a pair of gloves in doing 
so. The fish seemed to be ver}^ intelligent, and I placed it in a pail of 
water, and carefully took the specimen home alive. 

While a medical student I always had great faith in electricit}', where 
properly administered, and here was an opportunity to make use of the 
magnetic current from a natural source. My first study was to com- 
pletely domesticate and educate the electric eel. Within a short time the 
eel, which I kept in a small tank, would come to me in response to a beck- 
oning call, and by degrees I learned him to control the electrical power 
•which he \vould communicate to me, or tlirough the medium of a wire, in 
proportion to the amount of pressure brought to bear upon him. I now 
began advertising my electrical cure for various diseases, and with the 
eel concealed, yet under perfect control, I performed some almost mar- 
velous cures, establishing my reputation throughout the United States. 
The power of the fish in this direction developed wonderfully with prac- 
tice, and by the aid of a few assistants and a simple system, I have treated 
no less than one hundred patients at one time, the sole source of electric- 
ity being my electric eel. 

At one time when the electric light plant of our city failed tempora- 
rily, I offered niy assistance, and for two nights supplied a brilliant light 
to all portions of the city, but this proved to be a severe strain upon my 
eel, and I would not repeat the experiment for love or money, as I value 
the health of my medical assistant too highly. 




]Maiiv of mv ln'other anglers have marveleil at mv success in tishini^-, 
but the secret, which I have never before revealed, is simple. Within the 
butt of my fishing rod is a commodious cavitv, extending nearlv the 
whole length, giving room for my electric eel, where he rests comfortablv, 
covered with a thin laver of moss, which 1 keep constantlv moistened. In- 
stead of an ordinarv silk or linen line, I use a minute and almost invisible 
wire. This is conchicted through the rings into the butt of the rod, and a 
small electrical bell tinkles within whenever a fish strikes the hook. My 
electric eel immediatelv seizes the end of the wire, and the electric shock 
invariablv causes the fish to make a convulsive leap out of the water, after 
which, bv regulating the current, I can have- several minutes exciting 
sport, if desired ; or where the fish is an extremely large one, a concen- 
trated shock will depri\e him of power at once, and make him an easv 
victim. I use the same tackle whether fishing for black bass, salmon, or 
tarpon, and mv friends have been astounded to find such large fish could 
be caught upon such a delicate line and light rod. 

On one occasion I caught a shark weighing perhaps a thousand 
pounds with less effort than it would require for an orilinary angler to 
land a two-pound trout. I would not hesitate, if I \vex"e a betting man, to 
wager one thousand dollars that I ciiuld land a whale easily with my 
electrical fishing apparatus, though of late I am very careful to avoid test- 
ing the full powers of mv faithful accomplice in the angling art. 



THE SYMPATHETIC SAWFISH. 

The shark has an evil reputation in all paitsqf the woriil, remarked 
Mr. C. F. David, the Bostr>n "attorney at advertising," tjiit I have a very 
grateful recollection of a service done me by the 
sawfish, which is a sort of cousin of the shark 
family. While prospecting for pearls and 4Sb> 

coral, many years ago, I was suddenly caught 06^ .^ £-e^.x^~^z^ 
by a large devilfish, and would have been — . — 
killeil undoubtedly if I had not been liberated bj' the ~sa\vnSn. This 
fish seeing my critical situation, immediately attacked the devilfish, 
sawing off every arm of the sea monster, and allowing me to reach the 
surface, nearly dead. In fact I was so severely injured that I could not 
swim, and the sawfish rose underneath me and carried me ashore on his 
back in a very gentle manner. I have never been fully convinced whether 
this action was mainly out of sympathy for me, or to spite the devilfish, 
which is, no doubt, a natural enemy of the sawfish. 



AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SHARK. 

That puts me in mind of an adventure I had some years ago off the 
Florida coast, remarked Wm. Hill, the watch man at Chicago, who "pays 
the express." My principal object in visiting Florida was to enjoy the tar- 
pon fishing, but incidentally I found much ex'citement in another direction. 
Sharks were exceedingl3^ plentiful, and I finally concluded to vary the rec- 
reation of tarpon fishing with a cruise after these cruel sea pirates. Pro- 
vided with strong tackle and a capable boatman, I anchored my skiff near 
the inlet where quite a number of sharks could be seen daily, fiusking about 
in the surf, ready to battle witii man or fish. My previous experience had 
especially fitted me for an encounter of this kind. During fifteen years of 
my life I had been an active speculator, and was thus brought into daily 
contact with the worst variety of land sharks, and I knew the sea sharks 
could not equal them in craft or cruelt}'. In my exjserience with land 
sharks it was not an uncommon thing to see one of them swallow a whole 
railway line and a million acre land grant without change of countenance. 

But to return to my story. After catching a few comparatively small 
specimens I was beginning to long for something more exciting, when sud- 
denly a monster shark was seen a short distance away, apparently in just 
the mood for war. He swallowed the bait, and the strong line went spin- 
ning into the depths with a rapidity which could not be checked. This 
could not last long. The line had nearly run off the windlass, which served 
the purpose of a reel, at the end of the boat. It finally broke off short, 
capsizing the boat and throwing myself and assistant into the water. I at 
once seized the vanishmg end of the rope, and, strange as it may appear, 
swam to the shore, drawing the shark after- me and landed him safely on 
the beach, where, ujjon measurement, he was found to be twenty feet in 
length. Since that time I have never been afraid to cope, single-handed, 
with the largest of the species to be found in the ocean, but have found 
the land sharks more difficult and dang-ei'ous to handle. 



A RARE CATCH. 

" Well," remarked Mr. Draper, of Geo. P. Rowell's Agency, " Mr. 
Fred Ringer, of our agency, and I took a day off last season and vv^ent 
down to Geneva lake for a quiet fish. We obtained a boat and rowed out 
to the middle of the lake and made ready for business. Putting on a live 
frog Mr. Ringer made one of his famous long distance casts. A gull see- 




-4^- 



iiig- the flving' bait made a swoop for it and sailed awav. Mr. Ringer saw 
five hundred feet of mist-colored silk line leeled away into the heavens in 
a most amazing manner in the wake of a pair of broad white wings that 
flashed in the sun. 

" What on earth have \nu caught? " I cried to mv friend. 

" Blamed if I know," was the quiet replv, as the whizzing reel spun 
round, "but I think I have got a cherubim ! " 

A RAILWAY FISIIIXG LINE. 

^"^.jjn Perhaps vou ne\er heard how our railwav obtained the 

name of the fishing line, said Mr. F. H. jSIiller, of the C. 

,„ M. & St. P. R. R., Chicago. It happened in this way: 

' ■-**'^i;if'' "One of the officers of the road, accompanied by a friend, 
went up to a favorite lake on a fishing trip several \ears 
ag^o. They were fishing for black bass and mascalonge. Each one 
caught a large number of black bass, and several mascalonge of fair size, 
but this did not satisfy them. They wished to bring home one of the 
large specimens known to inhabit the lake, as a well-mounted mascalonge 
in a street window is the best kind of advertising for anv railwa\- line desir- 
ing the patronage of anglers. I should have explained that our line, at the 
point referred to, runs along near the liorder of the lake for some distance, 
and tlien turns at an angle mto the wilderness. 

One morning Mr. \i and his friend started out on a hand car from 

a little wav station, intending to take a fishing boat upon arriving at the 
lake to enjov a few hours sport among the mascalonge. Just for amuse- 
ment Mr. B threw out the trolling spoon and perhaps twenty yards of 

line, as the hand car drew close to the lake. The artificial liait began spin- 
ning swiftlv through the water, and in less time than it takes to tell it, a 
huge mascalonge had seized the lure. The fish turned in its course, after 
running out in the lake a short distance, and swam along parallel \\ ith the 
shore at marvelous speed. Bv some means the line became tangled in the 
handle bar of the hand car, and the mascalonge led the anglers a race along 
that half-mile course that would put to shame the best efforts of an Amer- 
ican Derby winner at Washington Park. The water frothed and foamed 
in the wake of the fish, and the hand car dashed along the rails like a 
lightning express train. 

When the point was reached where the railway line diverged from 
the lake shore, it was expected that the line would break, but its strength 
proved equal to the emergency. The hand car was running at the rate of 
a mile a minute, and the fish was drawn ashore before it had time to use 
its great power of resistance. The mascalonge was, of course, not familiar 
with this overland trail and in floundering through the underbrush and 

7' 



m 



trees tliL 



,fc\v ill a sliuwer in e\ 



W.. 



-.(. lies 

1 \ (ll 



;c'tioii.\Vheii tlie hand cai 

was stopped a li^lf nidt. fiu thei ~on, nothing le 

//Mimed nf the fish'cxctpt his ht id, \\ liieh WdS^pce 

served ill oc'od cunditit ii Lo 't^v« some idea of 

/' . 

ft'c stniufirlc'^^ made h^ the lish (hiiin^f the shoit 

/"^to^nrneN- thnnio-h ihelliifMefBlSsj-at is onl). neces 

'^ sa^') to stale that the. ends of the ties weie torn 

uuite iLdistance, <ind minj snTill biphna^s, 

/i.'fe^gsjgaejH load of lustic fish poles, 

i^^^oiig the way. This little idscji 

our lailwaj to the nimfe^rf '-tlit 






A NEW FISHING REEL. 



Speaking of popular fishing resorts, remarked Mr. T. 
G. Wiles, of Kansas City, Mr. C. M. Lucas, my partner in 
the Advertising Agency business, and I once conducted a 
hotel for anglers and sportsmen in northern Missouri. Game 
\vas abundant in that vicinity, and several species of game 
fish could be found in the lake and ri\'er near the hotel. The 
experienced anglers visiting that region always secured large 
catches of fish, but frequently some ambitious men from the 
cities, having no knowledge of fish and fishing, would be disappointed, as 
their efforts in the way of angling reminded one of the old time style of 
flailing on a threshing floor. This of course frightened away the black 
bass and other game fish, so we were obliged to invent something which 
would secure a well-filled creel for each one, as we could not afford to lose 
their patronage. 

We were cjuite expert in fly fishing, and we quietly manufactvired 
something in the form of a windmill, and attached to each arm of this 
unicjue fishing machine a good length of fine line, and by \vay of bait would 
place a neat artificial fly at the end of one line, a grasshopper upon the next, 
and other attractive lures upon the remaining lines. With a good breeze 
the fishing apparatus would work automatically, and everything was so 
adjusted that the baits would fall upon the water as light as a thistle down. 
When there was no breeze, an assistant was employed to run this fishing 
reel, and some of the largest catches of game fish in that region were, in 
this way, made by men who knew nothing about practical angling. 



72 



For those who preferred still fishing, we had another system, whicii 
worked equallv as well. A dozen tame ducks, each having a line attached 
to one leg, would be placed in the water at some suitable point, and when 
a fish seized the hook the duck would swim directly for the boat. Some- 
times the struggle would be a severe one, but with the aid of the boatman 
the duck could always be depended upon to win. Unfortunately, we never 
obtained a patent on cither process, and I expect it has been adopted by- 
many other hotel proprietors throughout tlie country. 



FISHING ON A FOG BANK. 

Mr. Frank B. Stevens, of Boston, referring to a peculiar incident in 
his fishing career, said : My favorite branch of angling has been that of 
sea fishing along the Massachusetts coast. Striped bass fishing and blue 
fishing furnish excellent recreation for me. The heavy fogs have at times 
interfered, to some extent, with my sport, especially when out a short dis- 
tance at sea m a light skiff or sailing boat. However, I survived the dan- 
gers of the sea, and in realit}' the greatest peril I ever encountered was 
when surf fishing for striped bass and casting from the shore, my position 
being upon a high ledge of rocks. The fog, which was almost impen- 
etrable, had ciept down giadually until I could scarcely see the curling 
waves which dashed in against the rocks below my feet. 

I was perfectl}' familiar with the locality and continued the sport, but 
as the fog grew more dense I shifted my position, drawing close to the 
edge of the rocks, the ledge seeming to extend farther into the surf at this 
point than I had formerly supposed. Working my way gradually for- 
ward and keeping close to the extreme edge, I finally secured a stiike, 
and wa* playing mv fish scientifically, when the sun shining through a 
rift in the clouds began to dispel the dense fog. As the fog began to 
disappear over the bay and roll inland, I was astonished and alarmed to 
find that in m\' eagerness to keep close to the edge of the rocks overlook- 
ing the surf, I had gone entirely beyond the rocky cliff and was standing 
upon the edge of the fog bank nearly a hundred yards from shore. The 
waves were rolling heavily over the rocks below, and it was only by the 
greatest exertion that I scrambled back, managing to keep pace with the 
receding fog bank until I reached the rocks again. I lost m}' fish, of 
course, but was glad to escape with my life. 




AN O'ER TRUE TALE. 

There is something truly marvelous in the ' moving adventures by 
flood and field,' which form a part of the experience of everj^ angler and 
sportsman, said Mr. Willard Everett, of Hood's Sarsaparilla fame. The 
public seems to be skeptical, and these adventures, especially in angling, are 
looked upon as fish stories. I will mention a little ^^^^^^^— err,.~^T^^ - -.m 
incident v^'hich once occurred to me, when I was W^^^^KBf^' '**'<■ 
fishing up in Vennont, where game and fish are ^^^^^^E .ii/^ 
very plentiful. I was floating for deer, and shot at a ^^^^^V 
large buck, which stood in the edge of the lake, when ^^^^^^ 
a monster trout sprang into the air between myself ^^|^^k> l' 
and the deer, and the bullet passed through both. ^B>^^K.Kt,.^nKf 
The bullet went whizzing on, and as I was curious to H^ ^^Hj^^HH^^ 
find where it finally struck, I drew the boat ashore H^~ hUHHI^BHI 

and discovered that the ball had entered a bee tree, gKt^^_,Jr '^^H 

from which a stream of pure honey was flowing. ~ =^^ 

Closing the bullet hole with one finger, I reached "t^B 

around with the other hand to find something to stop 

the flow of honey. A cub bear, attracted by the scent of the honey, 
was just approaching, and seized my hand, biting it quite savagely. In 
my excitement I caught hold of the cub and threw it backward several 
yards, breaking its neck and at the same time killing three partridges. 
On returning to the boat and looking for the deer, I found that the buck 
upon being shot had made one plunge forward into deeper water, and in 
doing this had struck five large trout, which were impaled upon the points 
of his antlers. Although I had started out for a hunting trip, it resulted 
in making quite a successful fishing tour. 

A FIGHT BETWEEN BULLHEADS. 

Most varieties of fish seein to be born fighters, with the nature of 
cannibals, remarked Mr. Marcus Wight, of J. C. Ayer & Co., Lowell, 
Mass. The most furious fight I ever observed between fish was on the 
upper Mississippi. It was by two bullheads of large size. The water was 
quite clear, and I could observe every movement plainly. Before each 
attack the bullheads would rise to the surface and utter a peculiar bellow, 
and then rush at each other with a savage fury, shaking their horns in a 
manner similar to that of their bovine kindred on land. To me it mat- 
tered little which of the bullheads won the battle, but I could not help a 
feeling of sympathy for the vanquished fish, after seeing him thrust and 
gored almost to death by the victor. The water was stained with blood 
, for some distance around, and the sound of the conflict could be heard 
over the waters for many miles. 

74 



FISHHAWK VS. FLYING FISH. 

The fishhavvk is a most inveterate eiiemv of all the smaller species of 
fish, and it is seldom that any inhabitant of the water can hope to battle 
with this bird with any expectation of success, said Mr. Pettingill, the 
Boston Advertising Agent. However, I once noticed a strife between a fly- 
ing fish and fishhawk, \vhich resulted in a victor\' for the former. The 
fishhawk had pounced down on the fiyingfish, which escaped the talons 
of the bird, and then began the struggle for life. Of course the fl>'ingfish 
might have avoided tlie battle by remaining deep in the water, but the 
unprovoked attack had evidently aroused its anger. The hawk hovered 
close over the water, and the fish, with remarkable agility, would fly at it 
from beneath, and finally it struck the bird in the middle of the body, pass- 
ing entirely through, and killing the fishhawk on the spot. It was quite 
an exciting affair, and my sym]3athies were with the fiyingfish from the first. 



NO USE FOR THIS COUNTRY. 

The salmon in the streams in Washington and Vancouver will not rise 
to a fl}' like their sportier cousins in Maine, said Dr. A. H. Hayes, of Boston. 
When the boundaries between the United States and the British posses- 
sions were being surveyed. Great Britain sent a Sir W as her repre- 
sentative to look over the territory, and to make a report to her Majesty 

the Queen. Sir W was an ardent sportsman, and seeing so many 

salmon in the streams, he started after them with a fly, but the fish came 
not up for the fl\', neithei' did they bite any other artificial bait, and Sir 

W 's opinion of the country was expressed in his official report to the 

Queen, as follows: "The blooming country is not worth a d n, the 

salmon there will not rise to a fly." 




75 




BARTERING WITH A JEWFISH. 

Mr. J.Walter Thompson, of New York, told an incident to illustrate the 
fact, that fish, like men, have their strong personal traits. He said : " Down 
in the South the jevvfish is not considered worthy of special note or atten- 
tion as a game fish, but on account of his size he sometimes furnishes much 
excitement for fishermen. The jewfish occasionally attains a weight of 
over five hundred pounds, and as it has great strength, will frequently 
break a hook large enough to capture a shark. The jewfish has some- 
times been called a giant perch, but I should prefer to ti'anslate his name 
literally, and call him an aquatic Hebrew, on account of an occurrence 
which gave evidence, to my mind, of the ability of the fish as a financier- 

I had visited Florida to indulge in tarpon 
fishing, and had bought the most expensive and 
elaborate outfit obtainable. One quiet day, while 
resting at ease in my steam yacht, I determined 
to make a few casts from the boat, more for 
practice than from any expectation of securing a 
tarpon at this time, as it was not a favorable 
locality for fishing. On making the second cast a m onster jewfish took 
the bait, and would have taken the line, rod, reel and all thereunto belong- 
ing, if I had not succeeded in making a compfomise. I knew that I could 
not fight successfully against the giant strength of the jewfish, and by a 
series of peculiar movements with his pectoral fins the fish conveyed to 
me, in language almost as intelligible as words to one familiar with the 
gestures of clothing dealers on Chatham street, that he would deliver the 
goods for a proper consideration. 

I was not in a mood to barter with the aquatic Hebrew, but under the 
necessity of the moment concluded it advisable to make a deal. Knowing 
the intense love of gold on the part of both the land and water species, I 
asked my assistant to hold up to the jewfish a glass aquarium filled with 
handsome goldfish. I held up my left hand with three fingers extended, 
to indicate that I would give three goldfish to recover my line and tackle. 
The jewfish shrugged his shoulders and shook his head savagely by way 
of refusal, and I immediatel}' raised mv bid to five, which was also 
refused. I was finally obliged to give that jewfish the whole job lot of gold- 
fish to obtain my tackle again, although I always considered it an unfair 
advantage unworthy of any excejat a salt-water Shylock, and I have never 
associated with jewfish from that day to this. 



76 



A LIVE ARTIFICIAL FLY. 

Mr. Wm. Boyle, the " Golden Specific" man, of Cincinnati, referring 
to scientific fly casting, mentioned the following incident in his career: I 
was fishing in a rocky stream, where remarkable skill is required to secure 
a full creel, as the trout were educated, so to speak, to avoid the ordinary 
wiles of the angler. On the occasion alluded to, I threw a fly so far and 
so delicately that, as it hovered close to the water, it took life and was 
about to make use of its wings to soar away, when a huge trout, seeing it 
rise from the surface, made a leap and turned the course of the insect's 
travel from the upper air to the bottom of his throat. It is generally 
known that natural flies originate from dead matter, and I had always 
believed it possible for any man of inventive genius to transform a 
handsome artificial fly into a live one, so my experiment simplv proved 
the theory. 




ONE SWALLOW TOO MANY. 

Speaking of live bait, said Mr. Chalmers, of the National Manufac- 
turing & Importing Co., Chicago, I had an amusing experience a few 
years ago in the lake region of Wisconsin. I was fishing for black bass, 
with a bait rod, and having good sport, when suddenly the minnow fell 
from the hook just as I was making a cast. As the minnow fell a swallow 
darting by was caught on the hook, and dropped struggling to the water, 
where it was seized by a large bass. I proceeded to reel in the fish, but 
an instant later a huge mascalonge swallowed the bass, and the reel sang a 
livelier tune than ever before. I felt doubtful about my ability to land the 
mascalonge, but by careful work I exhausted the fish, and in about twenty 
minutes had the satisfaction of bringing it to the gaff and secured it in good 
style. As a singular fact I observed that upon taking the bass from the 
throat of the mascalonge and loosening the hook, the swallow was found 
to be alive, and flew away as soon as it was liberated. I always regarded 
it as an excellent illustration of the evil of taking one swallow too many — 
a moral which amused the listeners at tiie expense of the narrator. 

77 




"M 



/.^j-: 



m 



THE PETRIFIED ANGLER. 

While attending the World's Fair last summer, I observed with 
much interest the lifelike figure of the Ideal Still Fisher, as represented in 
the Government Building, said Mr. H. B. Humphrey, of Boston. It 
sminded me very forcibly of the petrified fisherman, a negro, who has 
b^n sitting from time immemorial on a rock beside the Emory River. 
The, pose, a half sleepy, half expectant attitude, is perfect, and one might 
i^^gine this solid Muldoon to be a living angler in a somewhat rocky 
condition. The story in brief was published some time ago in the Satur- 
day Slade, I believe, and I understand from the reporter of that enterpris- 
ing paper that he would have vouched for the accuracy of the tale in 
every particular, but for the fact that the petrified fisherman refused to be 
interviewed, and would not give an affidavit as to his identity. Such care 
IS very commendable, but rare in modern journalism. 




PERSISTENT BITER. 

The hoining instinct of catfish seems to be equal to that of domestic 
cats, remarked Mr. J. R. Gritfitts, advertising manager of the C. B. & Q. 
R. R. To illustrate this, I will relate a little anecdote. I was fishing in 
a bend of the Mississippi River for pickerel, knowing that several large 
ones inhabited that particular pool. By some peculiar fatality every time 
I cast my line a large catfish took the hook, and as I did not care for this 
species of fish I liberated it each time and placed it farther down the 
stream, trusting that it would not trouble me again. Finally I became 
angry at the persistency of the catfish, and cut off his head, throwing both 
the liead and body back into the river. 

You know the mouth of the catfish is immense in the fullest sense of 
the word, but I was surprised when I made my next cast to find that this 
fish had swallowed his own body, which passed through the decapitated 
head and by a sort of natural attachment was fastened to it again, and the 
fish took my bait as eagerly as before. Seeing that the fish was deter- 
mined to eat himself out of house and hoine, and become an outcast, I cast 
him out on the bank and let him graze on the shrubbery until I comjaleted 
my fishing. 



i^\ 




Did you ever notice, said Mr. George G. Parvin, of Cincinnati, the 
methodical habits of the various species of fish. It is, no doubt, on ac- 
count of their systeinatic habits and custom that fisli usually go in scliools, 
where they receive tlieir education, fitting them for their respective walks 
or swims in life. I once noticed down at the inlet of Indian River, in 
Florida, where the tide-water from the ocean mingles with the fresh 
waters of the stream, a wonderful congi'egation of fishes of all varieties. 
They were leaping about in play, and over the waves I could hear the 
sounds of the fish language in all their dialects. 

There was the muffled drumming of the drumfish, the bellowing of 
the buffalofish, the satisfied grunting of the hogfish, the neighing of the 
redhorse, the barking of the dogfish, the caterwauling of the catfish, 
and the bleating of the sheepshead, mingled with other sounds too numer- 
ous to mention. 

I observed, too, the characteristic movements of each species : the 
floundering of the flounders, the soldier-like pace of the sergeant fish, the 
dainty walk of the lady fish, and the peculiar grouping of the groupers; 
but what interested me most was the grand review which took place just 
before tlie fish party broke up. The swordfish brandished his sword and 
led the way, while the sawfish saw that the drill was properly conducted. 
The kingfish, upon a coral reef, reviewed the procession. The National 
colors were borne by the red grouper, the whitefish and the bluefish, and 
the music was furnished bj' the black drum. 

The weakfish was assisted by the rockfish, and in regular order fol- 
lowed the shad, in his shadow, the pickerel with a pick, the pike-perch with 
his pike, the skip-jack skipping along, the carping sea-carp, the rock bass 
looking rocky, the straw bass carrying straw, the calico bass in a calico garb, 
the sunfish with its attendant shiners, the star fishes; the moon-eye, looking 
moon-struck; the lake lawyers and their twin pettifoggers, the bill fish, pre- 
senting their bills; the shovel-nose sturgeon, shoveling his way; the horned 
chub shaking his horns, and many other kinds of fish, each in its proper 
place, in the unique procession. It seemed like a sort of watery congress 
of all nations — a marine Midway Plaisance, with all the finny features 
imaginable. A greater variety of scaly customers I never saw. 





BROADSWORD FIGHT WITH A SWORDFISH. • 

My skill with the sword once saved m^' life, said Mr. L. S. Allen, of the 
B. & O. R. R. It happened in this way. Soon after graduating with 
honors at West Point, I was taking a cruise at sea, and frequently whiled 
away my time b}- practicing the broadsword exercise with one of the 
officers on the vessel, who was quite an expert in the art. We were prac- 
ticing one day, when by an unlucky stumble, I fell overboard, still retain- 
ing the sword in my hand. Upon rising to the surface the first thing that 
met my gaze was a swordfish not ten feet away, making directl}' at me. 
My presence of mind did not desert me, for although I was entirely out of 
my element and the swordfish had the advantage in this respect, I realized 
that coolness might save my life. 

The fight was, beyond doubt, the most peculiar one ever fought with 
swords. My adversary' was no novice in the science, and the vigor of his 
direct thrusts was something terrific. I escaped injurv as much by mv 
agility as by my skill in warding off his attacks. After receiving a flesh 
wound and in return gouging out an eye of my antagonist, the battle 
became fast and furious. At last I succeeded in blinding the remaining eye 
of my enemy, and then I had him at my mercy. With one fierce stroke I 
disarmed him, or in other words severed tlie sword from his vicious look- 
ing head, and catching it as it ^vas sinking, threw it on board the ship. 

My victory seemed to give me new strength and courage. Seizing 
the now defenseless swordfish by one of his fins I swam easily to the side of 
the ship, and when a rope was lowered drew him up with me to the deck. 
I still possess his sword as a relic, and at the tiixie was warmly congratu- 
lated for my combined skill and strength. The swordfish was weighed 
soon after I carried him on deck and was found to tip the beam at two 
thousand pounds. 



?-^fc^ 




80 



A PATRIOTIC SPECIES OF GRAYLING. 

Over in Michigan, said Mr. Charles H. Fuller, (he Chicago Adver- 
tising Agent, the jjrincipal game fish, or at least the most beautiful, is the 
grayling. Vou know the scientific name of this fish is Thymalhis 
Tricolor^ the latter having reference to the three heautiful colors with 
which it is adorned. For many years past I ha\c taken great pleasure 
in grayling fishing, and it occurred to me that by systematic breeding 
the coloration of the fish could be controlled and modified, to a certain 
extent, thus making a distinct branch of the species, peculiarly American. 

With this idea in mv mind, I began a systematic and elaborate system 
of fish culture, selecting the best specimens, and by a method originating 
in m\ own brain, I finall}' succeeded in producing a beautiful combination 
of colors. The dorsal fin of the grayling is its chief mark of beauty, 
rising to a height of perhaps three inches, extending along the back nearly 
half the length of the fish, and waving in the clear water like a beautiful 
banner, with rainbow tints. In the arrangement of colors I have secured 
a blending in regular order oi the red, white and blue, and at the lower half 
of the fin, close to the back, my new species shows the stars in perfect 
arrangement, after the style of the American flag. 

Haying accomplished this, I determined to train the fish and put them 
to practical use. Through careful breeding I have succeeded in obtaining 
cpiite a number of grayling in which the pectoral fins and the caudal fin, or 
tail, were abnormally developed. Bv proper encouragement the fish soon 
learned to take prodigious leaps from the water, and finally developed into 
a distinct variety of flying fish. They are also sensible to the charms of 
music, and now it is my custom on the Fourth of Julv, on Inaugural Day, 
and every other patriotic occasion, to call the fish from the water, bv the 
aid of a band playing the inspiring air of the "Star Spangled Banner," 
to which tune my educated grayling keep perfect time, and flv over the 
lawn in battalions to the admiration of all obser\ers. 



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A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. 



That reminds me, said Mr. W. B. Duffy, the Malt Whisky man, of 
an adventure I had once upon a time off the shores of Staten Island. This 
was my favorite resort for striped bass fishing, and many a big one have I 
caught there in former days. One afternoon I had 
exceptionally good luck, catching several bass of fair 
size, and after sunset, as I stood on a projecting rock 
watching the rise and fall of the water, and listening to 
what the wild waves v^^ere saying, a strange melody was 
borne to my ears. It was soft and plaintive, with a 
peculiar tone like that of an seolian harp, and one could 
almost imagine mingled with it a subdued siren song, 
which seemed to come out of the depths of the ocean. 
The words could not be distinguished, but the melody 
was most beautiful. Fiually it died awa}', and I deter- 
mined to make one more cast and then return to the 
city "by moonlight alone," in my sail boat. 

At this time I was using mossbunkers for bait, and 
making a long cast beyond the rocks was rewarded by 
a vigorous strike, but the subsequent play was unlike 
anything I had ever experienced. Thei-e was a down- 
ward rush, followed by a rise to the surface, and a fierce 
splashing, and something like a low moan came to my 
ears, while a pale face seemed to appear above the waves, 
weird and ghost-like. As this apparition sank from 
sight the struggle was renewed, and with my heart 
beating like a trip hammer, I strained the rod and line 
until at length the spectre, for thus it seemed to be, reappeared close to the 
rock on which I stood. 

I staggered and fell, knocking out one of iny teeth on a j^rojecting crag, 
and at the same instant the hook was torn loose, and the mermaid, as I now 
discovered it to be, splashed back into the waves and disappeared. On the 
flat rock where the hook fell was the only memento of my strange fishing 
contest, a pearly white tooth, which I have had carefull}' polished and 
formed into the scarf pin that has so often excited the curiosity and 
admiration of m}' friends. 




3^ 

"Will j3Act\ L/R rti6 



CHASED BY TIPSY FISH. 

The railway men of the Northwest give glowing accounts of the 
superb fishing in that section, but you should participate in the fishing to 
be had in the South to kno^v the pleasures of genuine angling, said Mr. 

82 



F. P. Reed, of thcMonon Route. It is the custom among certain planters 
down in Alabama, and on the Gulf coast, to bait deep holes and attract 
immense numbers of game fish, which are then caught bv set lines. Angle 
worms are often used, but Mr. Moonshine, who runs an illicit distillery 
down there, gathered a large quantity of the small spiral still-worms, and 
scattered them broadcast in the river near his home. With the worms was 
quite a quantity of worked-out mash from the distillery. 

The next morning on visiting the place, he found the river in terrible 
coTTimotion. A desperate, half-drunken conflict was going on between the 
catfish, eels, pike, sharks and almost every other variety of fish known to 
these waters. Mr. Moonshine fired several shots into the thickest of the fray, 
when he was instantlv attacked by the catfish, gars and other vicious fish, 
and chased across the swamp to his own gate. The fright and nervous 
shock so prostrated him that he made application for a pass to Wisconsin 
or to ^Michigan, or to any northern state, where he could recuperate and 
be free from the voracious attacks of fish. 

I have lieard that northern railway officials, jealous of our reputation 
for unequaled fishing resorts, claimed that the man was chased by revenue 
officers instead of fish, but the plain, unvarnished tale as it was told to me 
by the planter was worth all the transportation we gave him. 





«e ■'.'■>*? 



SCIENTIFIC CAT FISHING. 



Did you ever see a cat fish? inquired Mr. Grover Cleveland, 
of Washington, D. C. I do not mean the ordinary catfish of 
the waters, but a cat that will catch fish. Some years ago I w^as 
the proud possessor of a cat that supplied the family table with 
trout, black bass, and other game fish, during the proper season. 

-_..-— This cat took to fishing as uaturallv as a duck takes to water. 

Just at dusk our fishing cat would go down to the river, and after first cap- 




S3 



turiiig a grasshopper would carefully crawl out on a half submerged log, 
and throw the bait perhaps two feet up stream. If a fish rose the cat 
would immediately seize it, using his strong talons after the style of the 
famous eagle claw, which wa& used so successfully for fishing in years 
gone by. 

The cat seldom failed to retain his hold on a fish, and would drag it 
along over the water to the shore in quite a scientific manner. After hav- 
ing the benefit of two years' experience, the cat learned to select the best 
natural bait, sometimes using frogs, and at other times grasshoppers or 
large houseflies, and I have always regarded the sagacity and skill of that 
feline angler vi^ith much admiration. I could never make the cat fish for 
catfish, but he was a keen angler for game fish. 



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A GRIZZLY 

COMBAT. 



" The jarns that the hunters were spinning, 

While the anglers were spinning their reels, 
Could not be considered as sinning, 

Though they lacked the magistrates' seals." 



Speaking- of athletic feats, said Mr. Ensign, of tiie National Adver- 
tising Agency, New York, I recall a little incident that occurred dining 
my hunting experience in the Wild West. I was after grizzlies, and ordi- 
narily had hoth my wits and ni\' weapons about me, but this time, by 
singular neglect, I started a short distance from the spot where my rifle 
and hunting knife had been laid, and approaching a thicket was confronted 
by the largest grizzly bear it was ever my good fortime to meet. I had 
neither time nor inclination to run, as mv coolness, couraige and strength 
were such that I felt mvself the equal of anv wild beast west of the 
Rockv Alountains. The bear made a savage stroke at me with his paw, 
but onlv succeeded in knocking off my hat, whereupon he performed the 
scalp dance in a somewhat amusing manner, imagining, perhaps, that he 
had removed the upper section of my skull. 

The battle which ensued was more exciting than any in which the 
celebrated " Grizzlv Adams" ever participated. Having no weapons 
except those with which nature had provided me, I was at a disadvantage 
in regard to size and strength, but equalized matters by my activity and 
science. The bear evidently desired a contest of the " catch-as-catch-can " 
order, but I would not accommodate him. I parrietl and cleverlv avoided 
every rush and stroke, and in turn dealt old Ephraim a number of fierce 
blows over the heart which staggered him, and Hnalh' killed the monster 
by a fierce upper cut, which broke his jaw and dislocated 
his neck. Strange as it may seem, I escaped without a scratch, 
though somewhat exhausted, and had the battle continued 
much longer, I really believe I might have been slightlv injined. 
The bear's head has been tastefully mounted, and adorns a shield 
at mv home, as proof of the accuracy of my story. 

8s 




TALE OF A TIGER. 

Tiger hunting is very dangerous sport, remarked Mr. John J. Byrne, 
of the Santa Fe Road, in his usual quiet and unassuming manner. Some 
ten years ago, while hunting in India, I had an experience which was more 
thrilling than usual. I had left my rifle in camp and started for a spring 
near at hand, when suddenl}' an immense tiger sprang at me, and I avoided 
him only by my remarkable activit}'. I was not at all frightened, and on 
the contrary, was very angry both at the audacity of the tiger, and at my 
own neglect in failing to carry my rifle. 

As I could not fight his Royal Bengal Highness single-handed, there 
was nothing to do but to run, and I flatter myself there was an exhibition 
of speed which has not been equalled before or since by any professional 
athlete. At his first leap, the tiger barely missed me, tearing a fragment 
from my hunting coat. We were so evenl}' matched in speed that at every 
step I made down the trail through the jungle the tiger dropped in my 
footsteps, scratching my hunting boots at each bound. This race was 
continued for ten miles without any advantage being gained on either side, 
and I finally escaped by leaping a chasm too broad for the tiger to follow. 

My anger and excitement by this time were at the boiling point, and 
the effect was to change the coloi- of my hair from raven blackness to a 
fier}' red, which color it remained for three years. I still keep the hunting 
boots, and can prove the truth of my story bv the marks of the tiger's 
claws. 



FANCY SHOOTING. 

My modesty alone has prevented ine taking championsliip honors in 
the way of fancy shooting, both with rifle and shot gun, said Mr. Geo. G. 
Pouring, of New Haven. As proof of my skill with these weapons, I 
will mention a few feats which I frequently perform with great ease. 
One of my favorite recreations is duck shooting from a blind. In this 
sport I use nothing but a repeating rifle, and always shoot the incomers 

S6 



with such precision that the birds fall into the open game bag at my side. 
I invariably shoot the birds througii the head, and on one occasion brought 
down five in succession from a flock passing overhead, much to the sur- 
prise of my companion as he saw one after another falling into the game 
bag. 

Many years ago, when comparatively a novice, I used the shot gun, and 
by a peculiar system of loading, I charged the shells in such a manner 
that the shot instead of making the usual pattern would fly in any wav 
I desired. For instance, in wild-goose shooting, the shot, at a distance of 
50 to 75 or 100 yards, would fly in the form of a V, and in this 
manner I have killed a dozen wild geese at one time, each bird being 
shot through the head by a single pellet. That soon became tame 
sport, however, as it required little skill except in loading, and I now 
prefer the rifle for all kinds of wing shooting, and at all distances, 
even up to half a 
mile, at which alti- 
tude I have frequently 
brought down small 
birds barely visible to 
the naked eye. 



A TERRIBLE ENCOUNTER. 



While voyaging down the Mississippi last summer, said Mr. Ben 
Jefferson, of Lyon & Ilealy, Chicago, I had a rather peculiar adventure. 
[ had camped for the night not far from the river, and lying beside the 
camp-fire was preparing for a good night's rest. Finally a strange sensa- 
tion came over me, as of some threatening danger, and an instant later a 
terrible scream, evidently from a panther, sounded in my ears. The mon- 
ster was immediately above me, judging from the sound, and as I glanced 
upward I saw his eyes blazing like balls of fire, evidently in anticipation 
of a feast upon mv body. I seemed powerless to move, either fascinated 
or appalled by the sight, and my next sensation was one of pain, as I felt 
the talons of the beast at my head and throat. Exerting every energy, I 
threw the monster from me, and as I did so another fiendish sci'eam rent 
the air. A slight explosion followed immediately after, and I saw, as I 
awoke from my troubled sleejj, that a spark from the camp-fire had fallen 
into a percussion cap beneath the screech owl, which I had thrown 
violentlv from its perch upon my head. The force of the exploded per- 
cussion cap was sufficient to kill my terrible tormentoi'. 



jAV^»A^' '». 



87 




T 



ZIGZAG RIFLE SHOOTING. 

My proficiency in liilliard playing aided me wonderfully in mastering 
the art of rifle shooting, said the C[uiet man, Mr. Frank Cheney, of 
Toledo. Not the inere rudiments of the art, as in simply hitting the 
bull's-ej'e at a reasonable distance, but in making caroms, so to speak. I 
deem it very easy for any man \vith steady nerves and a clear eye 
to make a straight score with a rifle at a thousand yards 
distance, and therefore I determined to be the originator ' | Li^j^' ' 

of a new phase of rifle practice. 

Beginning by the simple practice of "bark- 
l' ing" squirrels, I gradually developed in skill until 

I could hit a ten cent piece a hundred yards distant 
— not aiming at the mark, but at a hardwood 
tree situated at right angles to the target. The bullet would 
glance from this to the edge of another tree and so on, in a 
." semi-circle, until it reached the desired point. Perhaps the 
^ ^ most difficult feat is to make the bullet take a zigzag course, 

first to the right, and then to the left, with a flight as irregu- 
lar as a rail fence. To show you what may be done in this 
way, I will merely say that I once killed ten blackbirds at one rifle shot, 
the birds being diagonally opposite, on both sides of a wood road 
through the forest, and so accurate was my aim and estimate that with 
the small 22 caliber rifle bullet the plumage was not touched, the eyes 
only being shot out. 





THE LAST BUFFALO HUNT. 

Mr. John Jenkins, of Kansas City, who had been softlj' playing a 
Harvard guitai", and listening to the stories, put in his lingual oar at this 
juncture. Some ten years ago important business took me to the North- 
west, where I remained several months, and devoted my leisure- time to 
field sports. Buffalo were then abundant, and on several occasions I had 
good sport in their pursuit. Finally I decided upon an original plan, 
principally for the sake of novelty, and at once put it into execution. 
Taking the entire skin of a freshly-killed buffalo, with the head and horns 
complete, I prepared a framework in the department of the interior within 



88 



which I could conceal myself, and by walking upon my liands and 
feet closely imitate the appearance and moyements of the bison. 

Noticing a large herd nioying toward the riyer, one fine morn- 
ing, I carefully approached, haying preyionsly prepared a half dozen 
revolvers within the framework of my dummy buffalo, the muzzle 
of each revolver just penetrating through the skin, and firmly 
fastened inside, with strings attached to the triggers. The herd 
was moving quite rapidly, and I stationed myself directly in their 
course, intending to fire a broadside and stampede the animals. At 
the first round, however, the herd instead of scattering pressed on 
more swiftly toward the river, and in a moment I found myself in 
the center of a vast throng of maddened animals, parched with thirst 
and eager to reach the water. 

Escape was impossible for me, but fortunately the ranks 
pressed so closely together that I was carried along by the force of 
the moving body, as by an avalanche. I fired several fusilades from 
the revolvers as the herd shifted, changing my position toward the 
rear, as the infuriated animals crowded past me. Apparently the shots 
were without effect. To my horror, I soon observed that the course of 
the herd diverted from their original course, was directly toward an 
immense cliff overlooking the river, but I was unable to extricate myself. 
The strong framework about me prevented instant death from the crush- 
ing force on either side. Within a moment, as it seemed to me, I found 
myself upon the verge of the precipice, and was forced headlong into the 
stream amid the falling bodies of thousands of buffalo. The structure 
which I had prepared was airtight, except the apertnies I had made 
through which I could breathe; therefore, while the animals floundered 
and many of them were drowned in the stampede, I floated down the 
stream and over the falls a short distance below the cliff. Drifting near 
shore, upon a sandbar, 1 was enabled to drag myself upon the bank where 
I lay for a short time exhausted. 

Upon glancing toward the river I saw that it was full of the dead 
bodies of buffalo, and what was more surprising, all of my shots must have 
taken deadly effect, as the current was red with blood. From that day to 
this, the stream has been known as the Red River of the North, and the 
last herd of buffalo was exterminated, greatly to my regret, in this singular 
hunt which I had oris^inated. 



89 



A WONDERFUL LIFE PRESERVER. 



Hunters, like cats, should have nine lives in order to safely undergo 
all the perils of out-door adventure, remarked Mr. Upton, of the Oxford 
Manufacturing Company, Chicago. This idea was suggested to me b)' 
the fact that once in my "checkered career" a single shot from my rifle, at 
a critical moment, saved my life at least five times. It happened in this way. 
I was standing close to a craggy cliff, in a fine game region, with my rifle 
in hand, when all at once a startled elk, running along the base of the 
mountain, bounded almost upon me. 

To avoid being trampled on, I leaped backward, firing the rifle at 
the same instant, and to my surprise, as I fell, I heard a death yell, evi- 
dentlj' from an Indian some distance to my right. At the same instant the 
ground upon which I had just stood crumbled and fell, opening a chasm 
at least a hundred feet in depth, into which I would have been precipitated 
had I remained there an instant longer. The falling of this section of 
ground loosened a huge crag directly overhead, which dropped with terri- 
ble force into the abyss, so that if I had by any chance escaped instant 
death, I would have been crushed by the descending rock. 

The elk, as I afterward found, had been struck b}' the bullet at the top 
of his skull, stunning him, and as he fell forward his antlers pierced a large 
rattlesnake, which was coiled ready to spring upon meat the point where I 
had formerly stood. The death-cry which I heard was from an Indian who 
had " drawn a bead " on me, and would doubtless have fired a fatal shot 
had it not been for my bullet which glanced from the head of the elk and 
struck the chief directly in the heart. This I have always considered 
a miraculous escape, and a hunting adventure somewhat unique in character. 



||iHiiilHlii''illni 



AN INSATIATE ARCHER. 



My favorite amusement is archery, in fact, my friends sometimes 
tell me that I " draw the long bow " too often, remarked Mr. Stanley Da}-, 
of New Market, N. J. It is astonishing to note the skill which may be 
attained by careful practice with the bow and arrow. I find it very easy 
to kill birds on the wing, and frequently by the use of three arrows have 
killed as many birds at one time. I also do curved shooting, using 
generally two arrows; each of the arrows has a curve, and will turn in a 
half circle, one to the right and the other to the left. 

I have become quite an adept in this style of shooting, and 
can hit two bull's-eyes, each one hundred yards distant, and in 
exactly opposite directions. This would seem to be a difficult feat. 



90 



M 



liut I accomplish the act by standing midway between the two, and shoot- 
ing out at right angles, aiming by intuition, and seldom fail to strike the 
exact center of each target. 

Once I adjusted the two arrows so carefully that in making a new 
experiment each of the projectiles in its flight covered a complete semi- 
circle, and met fifty yards behind me, the steel points of the arrow 
heads becoining firmly fastened together. This I consider one of the 
most difficult and scientific performances ever recorded in the line of 
archerv. 



/ 



NEW JERSEY SNIPE SHOOTING. 

My initiation as a snipe shooter over in New Jersey 

was a memorable event in my sporting career, soliloquized 

Senator Cornish, the organ manufacturer of Washington, 

jiiWi««£. New Jersey, who seemed to be communing with himself 

rather than speaking to the club members in the room. I 

was fresh from the prairies of the West, and knew nothing 

of shore or sea shooting in the vicinity of Gotham. One of my new found 

friends informed me, confidentially, that the summer flight of snipe was at 

its best on the Jersey marshes, and advised me to take a day off to try the 

sport. Accordingly I boarded an early train, engaged a native Jerseyman 

as guide and companion, and in less than an hour was on the historic snipe 

grounds at Pine Brook, made famous by Frank Forester. 

My preconceived notions of snipe shooting seemed to be entirely 
wrong. The Jersey birds did not fly up and away in a zigzag course, 
with a "scaipe !" "scaipe !" as I had always supposed would be the regu- 
lar order of things. These snipe just buzzed up around and toward me 
from every direction, and my breech-loader was kept hot by the repeated 
firing. Never since the celebrated Ijlaze at Barnegat had such a single- 
handed fusilade occurred on the clinging soil of New Jeisey. I killed an 
immense number of birds, and finally stopped after exhausting the ammu- 
nition and mvself. My genial guide had bagged the snipe, and he laughed 
long and loud as he retrieved them for me, and witnessed my skill as a 
sportsman. 

Finally, when I came to examine the wonderful bunch of birds I 
found it had shrunk in size, and consisted mainly of gauzy wings 
and long bills — in fact, Jersey mosquitoes ! I added another bill 
(denomination V) to the pile, handed it to my companion, 
and as a parting act of politeness gave him my pocket pist<il, 
heavily charged with double-distilled "Jersey lightning." 

91 



pic^Hl^in 55ECTIONS. 



"The North for grayling, trout and bass, 
The South for sea fish, and for tarpon; 
The East for salmon, pike and bluefish, 
And West for mountain trout to harp on." 



For convenience in briefly describing the special 
angling attractions of various localities, the states north 
of the Ohio River will be included in the Northern 
group, those lying southward of that stream in the 
Southern section, the region east of Ohio will be con- 
sidered the Eastern division, and west of the 
headwaters of the Missouri the Western portion. 





NORTHERN STATES. 

The gra^ding fishing of Michigan, as enjoyed on 
the Au Sable, the Hersey and Manistee Rivers, is a 
branch of angling not to be had elsewhere in any jjor- 
tion of the United States, except Montana. Information 
with regard to the best localities, etc., may be obtained :^ 

by addressing Mr. Chas. S. Hampton, Petoskev, Mich. "^=S;;J^L? 

For brook-trout fishing, Wisconsin, Michigan and -:_vV^':-:: 

Mmnesota are the principal states in the North. ^^ -";;- 

Among the best localities are those near Ashland, Ba}^- =S? 

field, Noquebay, Sparta and Westfield, Wis.; Chebo3fgan, Gogebic, -Sault 
Ste. Marie, and Watersmeet, Mich. ; Frontenac, Duhith, and Brule, Minn. 
For information concerning brook-trout fishing in these states, the 
reader may address Hon. S. S. Fifeld, Ashland, Wis., W. D. Tomlin, 
Duluth, Minn., or Mr. E. E. Thresher, Kalamazoo, Mich. 

Black bass are quite abinidant in the lakes and streams of most of the 
Northern States. Good fishing waters are near Huron, Sandusk}', and 
Tiffin, Ohio; Angola, Elkhart, and Pleasant Lake, Ind; Aroina, Kanka- 
kee, and Waukegan, 111; Buena Vista, Okoboji, and Spirit Lake, Iowa; 



92 






w 



Bowling Green, Rock Castle Springs, 
and Williamsburg, Ky.; Eldorado, Eu- 
reka, and Parsons, Kan; Allegan, Battle 
Creek, Coldwater, Elk Rapids, Goge- 
,bic, Petoske\-, and Sturgis, Mich; Alexandria, Big Lake, and Lake Pepin, 
Minn.; Jamestown, Wahpeton, and Thompson, N. Dak.; Columbus, 
Duncan, and Waterloo, Neb.; Big Stone City, Dell Rapids, and Wilmot, 
S. Dak.; Eagle River, Florence, Montello, Oconomowoc, Sheboygan 
Falls, and Summit Lake, Wis. 

Mascalonge fishing is excellent in the vicinity of Detroit, Glenwood, 
Little Falls, Prior Lake, and Staples Mill, Minn.; Alanson, ISLickinac 
Island, Sault Ste. Marie, and Seney, Mich.; Butternut, Eagle River, Fifield, 
Phillips, Woodruff, and Pelican, Wis. 

For pike, pickerel, perch, and small bass, the angler may select alinost 
any of the lakes and livers in the states mentioned, and be reasonably sure 
of good fishing. 

Accurate information in regard to localities, best seasons, etc., in these 
states may be had by enclosing self-addressed, stamped envelope to one of 
the following anglers: Col. W. T. Dennis, Richmond, Ind; Dr. S. P. 
Bartlett, Quincy, 111.; C. F. Bates, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Geo. A.Johnson, 
Detroit, Mich. ; Hon. W. David Tomlin, Duluth, Minn.; Dr. James A. 
Rankin, Jamestown, N. Dak.; Dr. James A. Henshall, Cincinnati, Ohio; 
J. N. Wass, Beresford, S. Dak.; Geo. F. Peabody, Appleton, Wis. 

SOUTHERN STATES. 

Tarpon fishing — for which the waters of the southern coast are most 
widely celebrated — may be had at its best along the shores of Florida. 
Several of the prominent resorts are on the gulf coast, in the vicinity of 
Apalachicola, Cedar Ke) s, Punta Rassa, Homosassa, Pensacola, Tampa, 
Charlotte Harbor, Tarpon Springs, and Naples. The tarpon is also found 
along the coast of Louisiana and Texas, where it is known, locally, as the 
" Grand Ecaille" (pronounced " grandvkye," and signifying large scale 
fish), and in some fishing towns it is termed the "savonilla." 

Other popular sea fishes — notably the Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, 
sea bass, etc. — are caught in abundance near Mobile, Ala. ; Braidentown, 
Cedar Keys, Indian River, Jacksonville, Key West, New Smyina, Pensa- 
cola, and St. Augustine, Fla. ; Brunswick, Darien, and Savannah, Ga.; New 
Orleans, La.; Mississippi City, Miss.; New Berne, Rodanthe, and Wil- 
mington, N. C; Charleston, Georgetown, and Coosawhatchie, S. C; 
Chincoteague, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and Pha'bus, Va. 



93 



•5?^~~'ffl'^ 




'^t\ The fresh water fishing is excel- 

' ■' ' lent in man^- portions of the Southern 
States, the principal varieties of fish 
being black bass, perch, pike, mullet, 
and occasionally trout. A few of the 
favorite angling resorts are: Broken 

Arrow, Decatur, Eutaw, and Wetumpka, Ala.; Corning, Eureka Springs, 

,;..', Pine Bluff, and Van Buren, Ark. ; Cantonment, Enterprise, and Kissimee, 

\'b, Fla.; Acworth_y, Calhoun, and Powersville, Ga. ; Vinita, Ind. Ter. ; 

If,' Bowling Green, Rock Castle Springs, and Williamsburgh, Ky.; Raceland, 

and Washington, La.; Hagerstown, Oakland, and Seven Locks, Md. ; 

Crocker, Jerome, New Florence, and Missouri City, Mo.; Chama, Espa- 

nola, and Fort Stanton, New Mex. ; Clvde, Pigeon River, and Sylva, 

N. C. ; Gourdins, Kingston, and Scranton, S. C; Boyce, Huntington, 

ii, Manchester, Reelfoot Lake, and Waverl}', Tenn.; Kountze, La Coste, and 

Waelder, Tex.; Lexington, Riverton, and Wytheville, Va.; Berkeley 

Springs, Harper's Ferrj-, and Sleepy Creek, W. Va. 

References: J. H. Hardaway, Montgomery, Ala.; Col. J. A. Wood- 
son, Little Rock, Ark.; J. Mortimer Murphy, Sponge Harbor, Fla.; 
Harry C. Brovs'n, Atlanta, Ga., Harry L. Means, Louisville, Ky.; Col. J. 
R. Thornton, Alexandria, La.; J. A. Hartner, Orangeville, Md. ; Geo. J. 
Chapman, 730 Pine Street, St. Louis, Mo.; J. Minium, E. Las Vegas, 
New Mex.; Edw. S. Latimer, Wilmington, N. C; V. O. Hendrick, 
Huntingdon, Tenn.; J. B. Gilbert, Houston, Tex.; W. M. Williams, 
Richmond, Va. 



EASTERN STATES. 

Bluefish and striped bass fishing take first rank in the wa}^ of angling 
along the coast of the Eastern States — squidding or trolling for bluefish 
being a popular recreation in connection with sailing, and bass casting tak- 
ing precedence over all other forms of sea fishing, among the scientific 
anglers whose principal pastime is with rod and line on the ocean tides 
from Cape May to Cape Cod. 

For striped bass fishing a few of the popular resorts are near Milford, 
New London, Southport, and Stonington, Conn.; Buzzard's Bay, Catan- 
met, E. Marshfield, Fair Haven, and Woods Holl, Mass.; Newmarket and 
Portsmouth, N. H.; Barnegat, Elizabeth, Sewaren, and Tuckerton, N. J.; 
Canarsie, Mamaroneck, Giffords, Fort Hamilton, and Sheepshead Bay, 
N. Y.; Block Island (via New London), and Warren, R. I. 



,94 



V 



For bluefish, the resorts above named and many others on the Eastern 
and New England coast, from Delaware Bay to Penobscot Bay. The 
localities along the Atlantic coast, where bhietish, sheepshead, weakfish, 
kingfish, and other species of sea fish are abnndant, within the range speci- 
fied, are literally too numerous to mention. 

Brook trout fishing of excellent quality maN' be enjoyed in the vicinity 
of Andover, Litchfield, and Shepang, Conn.; Middle Dam, Parmachenee 
Lake, Phillips, and Rangeley Lakes, Me.; Plymouth, Renfrew, Shelburne 
Falls, antl Westficld, Mass.; Gorham, Laconia, and Salmon Falls, N. H.; 
Dunnfield, Oak Ridge, and Vernon, N. J.; Alder Creek, Ausable, Adi- 
rondack, Big Indian, Boonville, Callicoon, Canisteo, Deposit, and Wells- 
ville, X. v.; Dingman's Ferry, Oakland, vShohola, Westfield, and White 
Haven, Pa.; Abbott's Run, Greene, and Washington, R. L; Bel- 
low's Falls, Morrisville, Summit, and Wolcott, Vt. 
Black bass are abundant near Cliopinville, Litclifield, and Win- 
sted. Conn.; Belgrade, Fryebuig, and Highland Lake, Me.; 
Milford, Southbridge, and West Acton, Mass.; Alton, Centre 
Conway, and Nashua, N. H.; Dover, Lake Hopatcong, and 
Weston, N. [.; Binghamton, Canaan, Clayton, Dunkirk, Green- 
wood Lake, Lockport, Oswego, and Westport, N. Y.; Erie, Free- 
rnansburg, Lackawaxen, Tunkhannock, and West Conshohocken, Pa.; 
Cranston, and River Point, R. L; Back Bay, Bellows Falls, Ludlow, 
and Sheldon, Vt. 

For mascalonge a few of the favorite Eastern localities are Clayton, 
Ogdensburg, and Theresa, N. Y.; Barton, and Newport, Vt. Other 
varieties of fresh-water fish, /. c, pike, pickerel, perch, etc., are plentiful 
'in many lakes and streams throughout the Eastern States. 

References: Dr. E. P. Gregory, Waterbury, Conn.; Edward M. Bland- 

ing, Bangor, Me. ; VV'alter M. Brackett, 41 Tremont St., Boston, Mass.; 

Geo. C. Gilmore, Manchester, N. H.; Robert D. Foote, Morristown, 

N. J.; Wakeman Holberton, 18 Vesey St., New York City, N. Y.; A. B. 

'Shipley & Son, Philadelphia, Pa.; Chas F. Orvis, Manchester, Vt. 



^«^ 




^-?^^^?fe=57^^v 




iitifully distributed over that vast area of country generally knoyi^n 

e,''/Far West," :ai'e thousands of rivers, lakes and brooks filled with 
m^ pf the finest ganie fish in America. A few of the excellent fishing 
loealities are enumerated in the followms^ list: 

For brook trout, rainbow trout, and mountain trout, Belmont, Chico, 
Clairville, Fulton, Lone Pine, Monterey, Redwood City, San Mateo, 
Soledad, andJWiudsor, Cal.; Boulder, Breckenridge, Buena Vista, Cimar- 
i^)n7i3eTta, Golden, Gunnison, Idaho Springs, Longmont, Montrose, St. 
Elmo, and Villa Grove, Colo.; Camas, Eagle Rock, Inkom, Rathdrum, 
Sand Point, and Shoshone, Idaho; Avon, Billings, Butte, Custer, Elliston, 
Gallatin, Garrison, Heron, Livingston, Park City, Ravalli, Red Rock, 
Stillwater and Woodlin, Mont.; Carson and Palisade, Nev.; Albany, Cor- 
vallis, Oregon City, and Salem, Ore.; Clear Creek, Milford, Ogden, Rich- 
mond, Smithfield, and Thistle, Utah.; Carbonado, Cascades, Lake View, 
Olympia, and Waitsburg, Wash.; Carter, Fort Washakie, Hilliard, Pied- 
m,ont, and Twin Creek, Wyo. 

For salmon fishing and sea fish, the following points are excellent : 
Monterey and Windsor, Cal.; Astoria, Bonneville, Columbia, and Oregon 
City, Ore.; Alderton, Cascades, Olympia, and Seattle, Wash. In the 
fresh waters, inland, game fish are abundant from the Rocky mountains to 
the Pacific coast. 

References: Harry Babcock, 306 California St., San Francisco, Cal.; 
Hon. L. B. France, Denver, Colo.; Chas. Nathurst, Sappington, Mont.; 
Hon. S. H. Greene, 204 Stark St., Portland, Ore.; W. J. Dermody, 
Ogden, Utah; E. E. Ellis, 903 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Wash. ^ 




£.M^£ 




MONTHLY FISHING GUIDE 




Mark well the various seasons of the vear, 
When the successive fishing months appear; 
In each revolving moon some fish there be 
That mav be taken in river or in sea." 



JANUARY. 

For the majority of anglers Januarv represents the "winter of discon- 
tent," so far as fishing is concerned. Florida, the perennial paradise of the 
angling brotherhood, yields good sport at this period of the }-ear, vsdien the 
bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, groupers, and other varieties of sea- 
fish bite well at the favorite resorts, named elsewhere. On the Gulf coast 
of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the fishing is also good 
during January. 



^ . 



•m 



.* 



'*? 



y/ 



f 



FEBRUARY. 

The month of Februarv is considered — by the fishing fraternity — 
much more welcome than its predecessor. It is three days shorter than 
January, and one month nearer to the general season of piscatorial pleas- 
ures. Winter fishing through the ice can of course be indulged in by 
Northern rodsters, but that is a rather "chill and cheerless pastime " to 
most men. Aside from this amusement there is none with rod and line in 
the Xorth, and the good fishing of the Gulf coast has one disheartening 
feature for multitudes of anglers — it is too far away. 

MARCH. 

To the lover of angling, as also to the soldier, the word " March ! " 
signifies something. To the former it means a step nearer, on the calen- 
dar, toward the longed-for fishing season. The tarpon fisher greets it as 
the time of the preliminary skirmish with his favorite finnj- adversary, and 
the sea-fishing of Florida is good. On the whole, there is something 
breezy about March, and " It's an ill wind that profits nobody." 



99 



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APRIL. 

April showers do something more tiiaii "bring forth 
May flowers." They bring forth those early croakei's, 
the frogs, telling in hoarse yet hapjDy voices to the world 
in general and anglers in particular the glad tidings that 
the Spring rise is in the brooks and the trout are rising 
too. In most of the states trouting begins in this variable, 
vernal month, and it is held in high esteem accordingly. 



MAY. 

May is the month pre-eminently intended for and 

dedicated to the disciples of Izaak Walton. It seems to be 

universally accepted by the fraternity as the brightest, best 

and balmiest of the twelve changeful cycles of the year. 

Local or special lestrictions excepted, brook trout may be 

legally taken in most of the states and territories. May is 

distinguished, also as being probabl}- the best for tarpon fishing in 

southern waters. It is the time when a majority of anglers feel a 

keen desire to " fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." 

JUNE. 

June may be termed the month of the salmon, although it is almost 
equally famous as the month of the black bass, which are in season and 
rise readily to the artificial fly in most sections at this period. The tarpon 
fishing is also in its prime, and mascalonge fishing of the finest kind may 
be had in the St. Lawrence River, about the Thousand Islands, and in the 
Northern states, particularly Wisconsin and Michigan. June is a favorite 
month for bluefishing along the Eastern coast. 

JULY. 

Patriotic anglers will find almost universal freedom to go a-fishing 
for any and all kinds of fish, and in all sections of the Union — except upon 
preserves, leased or purchased. Salmon, brook trout, mascalonge, black 
bass, pike, pickerel, etc., are all in season, ready to be taken by hook — but 
not by crook, except in the form of a gaff. 



^ 




AUGUST. 

During this month — and m man}- localities even during July — the 
waters of inland lakes, particularly through the pine land and wooded sec- 
tions of country, are "in bloom," as it is technically- called, the surface 
being covered with aquatic seeds and vegetation. In such localities, dur- 
ing this period, the bass, pickerel and mascalonge fishing is poor. More- 
over, the angler receives so many bites, even when the fish are not to be 
found, that August is not a popular month in the calendar, except for sea 
fishing in the East. 

SEPTEMBER. 

Blithe September is a better mouth for sea-fishing than for angling in 
fresh waters — the season for brook-trout fishing having closed, in most 
states, with the end of August. For striped bass fishing off the Xew Jer- 
sey and Connecticut coast, September is a favorable period, and the blue- 
fish, sheepshead, weakfish, etc., also bite well at this time. 

OCTOBER. 

The month of October is more favorable for the gun than for the rod 
in the Northern states, though persistent anglers making their annual fare- 
well casts, either in the ocean surf or the lakes and streams, occasional! v 
make fair catches. The banging of the breech-loader, however, takes the 
place of the liummiug of the reel to a great extent. 

NOVEMBER. 

With the beginning of November the better varieties of game fish in 
the sea having departed southward for their winter sojourn, and the mas- 
calonge, pike, pickerel and perch, — the only fresh water varieties avail- 
able — feed priucipallv in deep water, "on their own hook," instead of 
taking other hooks, no matter how temptiuglv offered. 

DECEMBER. 

Foi' all practical purposes December is a "closed time" for fishing in 
the Northern, Eastern and Western states. The inland waters are usually 
closed by ice, and even when open the well-stocked lake or stream 
would, at this period, prove to be a veritable " slough of despond " for 
scientific angling. Any wise Horace of the present time would var}' the 
familiar advice given by the late sage of the 7 ribiDie^ and say to the 
December angling enthusiast : " Go South, young man, go South ! " 



GAME AND SHOOTING. 




" While thousands are doomed every 
moment to yield 
To business or studies severe, 
, iji The sportsman enjoys the pure air 

of the field, 
And roains without sorrower fear; 
He sighs not for honor, for splendor, or w'ealth, 

Better blessings than either attend him. 
Behold, on his brow sit contentment and health, 
And the dictates of conscience befriend him." 

The sportsmen of America have for many generations past enjoyed a 
greater variety of field sports than could be found in any other civilized 
country. So numerous, in fact, were the varieties of game, and so appar- 
ently inexhaustible the supplj^, that few restrictions were placed upon the 
shooters, and in consequence of this the country has been for fifty years 
past overrun by not only the native lovers of field sports, and market gun- 
ners, but sportsmen of foreign lands have swelled the throngs to exter- 
minate several of the valued species of game — birds and animals. 

During the first half of the present century the native American, even 
though his worldly possessions consisted of merely a simple shooting out- 
fit, could obtain, comparatively without cost, better sport than European 
princes could boast of in their own country. The United States in reality 
seemed to furnish a sort of Happy Hunting Ground for the sportsmen of 
our own land and the wealthy shooters of European countries. All this,. 



however, has sadly changed during the past twenty-five years. The 
bison or buffalo, which formerly roamed over the broad plains beyond the 
Mississippi in countless numbers, now exists (on the public domains) onl^' 
within the limits of Yellowstone Park, where a small band of two or three 
hundred has been preserved, though a few wanton hide hunters have, dur- 
ing the past winter, attempted to destroy the last remnant of this distinctive 
species of American game. 

The destruction of the buffalo is but an indication of the coming fate 
of the moose, the elk, and other valuable species of game, unless strict 
protective laws are enacted and enforced. Unfortunately, the propagation 
of game can not be successfully undertaken on a large scale for the public 
benefit, as is done with the better varieties of American game fish. 
Twenty years ago the annual flight of the migratory pigeons darkened the 
air in spring-time, but at present the species seems to be practically annihi- 
lated. This result has been reached by indiscriminate slaughter, princi- 
pally for the markets and for trap-shooting tournaments. 

It will be seen that while American sportsmen have been blessed with 
privileges and opportunities in the line of field sports equalled by no other 
nation, the time is not far distant when none but wealthy sportsmen, or 
clubs owning large game preserves, can hope to find good sport in any of 
the states, except perhaps those bordering on the Pacific Coast. The 






^ 




a3' 



destruction of American field sports for the common masses would be felt 
as a national calamity, as the proper indulgence of the passion for out-door 
recreation has done much to foster and maintain the spirit of independence, 
the manly vigor and remarkable courage, which is recognized as a charac- 
teristic of native-born Americans. With the gradual passing away of a 
love for or opportunity to indulge in- field sports, there springs into exist- 
ance the passion for more debasing pastimes, as indicated particularly in 
many of the large cities and their vicinity, where gambling, pugilism, and 
other so-called sports too often take the place of honorable out-door recrea- 
tion, to a certain degree. 

A careful historian once asserted, giving ample proof for the state- 
ment, that modern nations excelled in arts, sciences, and agriculture, as 
well as in oiher vocations of peace and war, in proportion as the young 
men exhibited a tendency to indulge in the sports of shooting, fishing and 
other manly amusements of the field. Upon the sportsmen of America, 
therefore, devolves the dutj' of maintaining for future generations the sup- 
ply of game birds and animals, which have, in the past, been so recklessly 
destroyed without thought of future consequence. Public sentiment has 
been aroused against the wanton slaughter of game, and it is believed that 
the efforts of local clubs and state organizations formed to enforce the 
game and fish laws will have the effect of preventing the extermination of 
valuable species, particularly in view of the fact that a strong National 
Game, Bird, and Fish Protective Association has been organized, during 
the past \'ear, to co-operate with local associations in this direction. 




104 



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t ' Xf 






^^^^p 


ti- 


-f ■ ■ ■ 



" In the far-awiij northernmost -.vilds of Maine, 

Where the murnuiring pines all the year complain, 
In the unknown Aroostook's lonesome world. 

Or where the waters of Moosehead are cnrl'd, 
The stalwart Avood-cutter spreads his camp, 

In his cabin of logs trims his winter lamp : 
And many a savory banquet doth cheer, 

The fireside joys of his wintry year, 
With haunch of moose and the dappled deer." 



THE MOOSE. 

The moose is the largest, as v/ell as the most highly prized species of 
the deer family to he found within the limits of the United States. 
Formerly this species was very abundant throughout the region of coun- 
try extending from the wilds of northern Maine westward through the 
wilderness bordering on the Great Lakes and far beyond, but great havoc 
has been wrought, especially during the past twenty-five years, in the sup- 
ply of this variety of game. Comparatively' few are killed annually in the 
United States, and these mostly within the limits of northern IMaine and 
the states of the far Northwest; where the pernicious activity of pro- 
fessional hiHiters and self-styled sportsmen, who kill the large beasts during 
the prevalence of deep snows, will, if not checked, bring the moose into 
the list of extinct species of American game before the close of another 
decade. 

In appearance the moose is large and awkward ; its huge head and 
broad nose, combined with its short, thick neck, giving it a rather 
grotesque look. The moose travels over the ground with remarkable 
speed, not after the style of the common deer, with long graceful boinids, 
but in a swing-ing: trot, crashing: through the thickets and over fallen logfs, 
with a noise that mav be heard quite a distance. This style of locomotion 



105 



is adopted onlj' \vhen the animal is suddenly startled. If the presence of 
man is detected by the wary animal while the hunter is yet some distance 
away, the moose moves off with the greatest caution, often selecting a 
course which the follower can piu-sue only with the greatest difficulty. 
The endurance of the animal is such that only the hardiest of hunters can 
hope to overtake him in a stern chase, when he has once been alarmed. 
The broad, palmate antlers of the moose are a distinguishing feature, and 
happy is the hunter who can boast the possession of a head as a trophy 
taken from an animal killed by himself. 

Still-hunting or stalking the moose in his native wilds is a branch of 
sport successfullj' followed by none except the skilled woodsman and 
hardy hunter. The fatigue and countless obstacles to be met v\'ith are such 
that comparatively few amateur sportsmen attempt it. More frequently 
the animal is driven to water by the guides and woodsmen, or attracted to 
such localities by calling. The call is made by imitating the plaintive low 
of the cow moose, or if required, the bellow of the bull moose. A trumpet 
of birch bark is used, and if the call is properly made and carefullv 
repeated at intervals, it will seldom fail to bring the moose within range of 
the hunter's rif^e. 

In northern Maine and in the Canadian Provinces, the moose is often 
hunted during early winter by pursuing him on snowshoes. Fire hunting, 
which consists in using a jack-lamp or torchlight, is often effectively fol- 
lowed in midsummer, along the lakes and rivers. This method of shining 
is not considered very sportsmanlike by those who possess the requisite 
skill and endurance to adopt the style of still hunting. In Professor 
Meyer's entertaining work, entitled " Sport with Gun and Rod," will be 
found two instructive articles on moose hunting — one by the Earl of Dun- 
raven, the other by Mr. Charles C. Ward, a practical sportsman and fine 
descriptive writer. 




1 06 




'Far from the cultivated realm 

Where human labor fells the «oocl, 
Cleaves the rich glebe and tills the soil, 

Incessant toiling for its food, 
The great elk of the wilderness, 

Boon nature's noblest, fleetest child, 
Since the creation hath possess'd 

And rang'd, untamable, the waste, 
Cropt the sweet grasses of the wild. 

In savage freedom roam'd and rac'd.' 



THE ELK. 



The American Elk, frcqiicutlv called the Wapiti, is more handsome 
and gracefnl than the moose, though it does not equal the latter in size. 
In form the elk closely resembles the common deer, and in color it is of a 
3'ellowish brown ; of a dark tinge in winter, and lighter in summer. The 
antlers or horns are more upright than in the common deer, and are very 
symmetrical. The range of the elk, which fornierlv extended over the 
greater portion of the Unitetl States, is now restricted principally to the 
far West. Beyond the Rocky Mountains, not many years ago, the elk 
could be found in bands sometimes several hundred in number, but at the 
present time it is rare to see a herd of more than fift\', even in favored 
localities in Wyoming and Montana. The great National Yellowstone 
Park has proved to be a haven of refuge for this variety of game, and it is 
believed by careful observers that quite a large percentage of tfie elk now 
roaming in the United States have their habitat in that natii^l/game pre- 
serve. Mr. Hofer, an exjjerienced guide and woodsmaii/i)f,the Yellow- 
stone country, states that the elk migrate annually to C[uitB as large extent, 
moving to the south and southwest to the warmer place»j|late in autumn, 
and rettirning to the park when the heavy stiows are melted in the spring. 
Still hunting is the method commonly employed in folfciwing the elk, 
though occasionally the attimal is killed in open c()untTiVjfey hunters on 
horseback. The bands of elk in the mountainous countrvi4E;et[uent the 
highest hills, and on the plains they are to lie found usually n 
near the streams, in or near the thickets of willows. 

Elk hunting is exciting sport, and if careful restrictive laws 
are enforced to prevent the extermination of the species it may be 
enjo\'ed within a limited area of country for many years to come. 





THE VIRGINIA DEER. 



'And there at theii' head, at brief advance, 
I see a stately stag in career, 
A stag that bounds, that struggles for life. 
The proud, the hunted, the frantic deer." 




The best known and most widely distributed 
species of tlie deer family in America is the com- 
mon red deer, or Virginia deer, wliicli is to be 
foinid at the present time in nearly' ever_y state 
of the Union. Although the common deer is 
bv nature shy and timid, it does not wholly 
forsake the haunts of civilization, as proved bj' 
the fact that deer hunting is still a popular jDastime 
in Pcnns3'lvania, and New York state, in the wilderness and mountainous 
countr}- not far from the large towns and agricultural districts. 

Of the characteristics and inethods of hunting this highly prized 
variety' of game much has been written, but no better practical treatise 
exists than the admirable book entitled " The Still Hunter," by Mr. T. S. 
Van Dyke. Nearlj' half a century ago a most attractive little volume, 
"The Deer Stalkers," by Frank Forester, was published for the enter- 
tainment of American sportsmen and the work is still eagerly read, but in 
view of the fact that it is a sporting romance, with instruction as an 
incidental feature, it cannot in this latter respect bear comparison with the 
former volume. 

Still hunting or deer stalking is by far the most prevalent and popu- 
lar method of pursuit. In several states the use of hounds or any other 
kind of dogs is prohibited in deer hunting, as many believe that hounding 
practically drives the deer out of the section where the custom is common. 
In the Eastern states the favorite localities for deer huntino- are in the 



1 08 




Unde 



Adirondack region of northern 
New York, and the wilderness 
portion of Maine. Farther west 
deer are found in abundance, esjse- 
cjidly in the states bordering upon 
the British possessions. 

In certain portions of the 
South, notably in Georgia, the 
time-honored sport of deer hunting 
w^ith horse and hounds is followed 
to a considerable extent, but in most portions 
of the United States the character of the 

country is such that tliis sport cannot be successfully pursued, 
favorable conditions there can lie no more exciting sport than this, and 
it is one which may be participated in by both sexes. In fact, some of 
the most enthusiastic followers of the chase in Georgia and Mississippi are 
ladies. This pastime has been thrillingly described by the late "Ellen 
Alice," and liv another charming writer, " Beryl," a ladv belonging to one 
of the first families of Georgia. 

Fire hunting is a method which can not be endorsed, as it is success- 
fully put in practice only during midsummer, when deer are driven to the 
lakes and rivers by the flies and winged pests, and the game at this season 
is not in proper condition. There is something unsportsmanlike in float- 
ing within a few vards of a dazed creature, and killing it by a shot as it 
stands half submeiged in the water. The same objections hold good as 
applied to driving deer with hounds down to the Inkes or streams in mid- 
summer for the purpose of killing. A spirit of sportsmanship requires 
that some skill be displayed on the part of the iiunter, an<l a fair oppor- 
tunity for life given the hunted. 



f//^#§ 




109 




THE ANTELOPE. 




I'll chase the antelope over the plain, 
And the tiger's cub I'll bind with a chain, 
And the wild gazelle with its silvery feet, 
I'll give to thee for a pla3'mate sweet." 



On the plains of the West a very popular and exciting 

sport is that of antelope hunting, either with the swift 

greyhounds and speedy horses, or by still hiniting. 

The latter is a difficult method, as the antelope is a 

remarkably shy animal, except when its curiosity is 

aroused. It can sometimes be lured within range by 

the hunter lying in wait, concealed by a rock or some 

other object and waving a handkerchief. If the hunter 

is carefully concealed, and the taint of his presence is not 

borne to the delicate nostrils of the game, the antelope 

will approach nearer and nearer until within easy range, 

their curiosity overcoming their judgment. 

When the hunter desires to approach the game by stalking, or still 

hunting, the greatest of caution is reqiured, as he must approach his quarr}' 

unobserved, and in doing so it is often necessary to creep or 

crawl through the prairie grass for quite a distance. 

Several other varieties of the deer family — the black tail 
deer, mule deer, etc. — furnish good sport to the hunters of 
the West, but the style of hunting does not differ materiallv 
from that employed in following the species already men- 
tioned, therefore it is unnecessary to give a description of 
each. Judge Caton's practical work, " The Antelope and 
Deer of America," gives valuable instruction as to the haunts, 
habits and habitat of these eame animals. 




THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 




' Mid scenes magnificently grand 
In forest ground and mountain land, 
Savage and solitary lord 
Of dark i-avine and pastures broad. 
The grizzly bear, beyond the dome 
Of Rocky Mountains, holds its home." 



The spice of danger attending the sport of grizzlv bear hiniting gives 
it a peculiar charm to many who are fond of the wild sports of the West. 
It is a pastime requiring coolness and skill, and should not be attempted by 
any amateur who knows nothing of the habits and character of the animal. 
The haunts of this savage beast are in the rocky canyons and dense 
thickets among the mountains, where the hunter is liable to come upon it 
suddenly and unexpectedly. If he is not the possessor of rare courage^ 
coolness and presence of mind, he may discover when too late that bear 
himting has no attractions for him; in fact that he "has not lost anv bear," 
and he did not wish to find anv. 

The principal danger is to amateurs or novices of this description. 
Experienced hunters are always prepared, and are seldom killed or seri- 
ously injured. The appearance of a grizzly bear, \vhen angry, is suffi- 
ciently frightful to alarm and unnerve any excitable person. In size he is 
a monster, specimens ha\'^ig been killed weighing nearly looo pounds, 
and the open countenance of bruin with his murderous teeth could not be 
considered reassuring. The grizzly bear is most abundant west of the 
Rocky Mountains in the extreme northwestern states and territories, from 
Montana to Oregon, where he is usually at home to all comers who may 
desire to seek him persistently. Tiie common black bear, less dangerous 
and more widely distributed, is sought by hunters in many sections of the 
country — being usually trailed and treed by dogs. 




':^3_^i£s=frL:-,# 



The mountain libn crouching sat, 

Where prowl'd the lynx and fierce wild-cat 
O'er crags sprang mountain goats and sheep, 

While hare and rabbits startled, leap. 




OTHER FOUR-F,OOTED GAME. 

X '' } '' llllii j Along the mountain ranges near the Pacilic 
coast the California lion, or mountain lion, an 
/animal of great strength and activity, is quite 
^ "* frequently found by adventiu-ous hunters, and 

the common wild-cat and lynx are found in many 

M, .^,y /, ; if not most of the large forest areas of the 

/Mv' V United States. These animals are seldom 

/^^ ,,, hunted as a specialty, or as affording a distinct 

branch of. |iela sports, but their pursuit is exciting, and their killing 

is hailed with 'delight by frontiersmen, whose flocks and herds suffer from 

their depredations. The same is true of the wolf. 

The Rocky Mountain goats and sheep — each species being now in 
process of extermination — are objects of interest to keen still hunters who 
possess the agility and endurance of Alpine crag climbers. Gf the com- 
mon hare, or rabbit, the late Col. F. G. Skinner has given entertaining 
testimony, through the sportsmen's journals, as to the capital sport which 
may be had by pursuing the "cotton tails" with well-trained beagles ; and 
of the large jack-rabbit of the West it may be said to his credit that he 
has been the "prime mover" — in fact, always takes the lead in carrying 
on the sport of coursing upon American soil, and therefore " may his tribe 
increase." 





>r 



'% 



m£K 




' Thej come from frostv solitudes, where broods the Arctic night, 
Where deserts grim, spread vast and dim, in the auroral light. 
The Esquimaux, with bended bow, fast paddling his canoe, 

Their flocks hath cha&^ o'er ic\' waste of waters heavenlv blue.' 



-^^t> 



WATER-FOWL. 




Most majestic of all American species of water-fowl is 

the great trumpeter swan, of pure white plumage, graceful 

in form and movement, large in size — attaining about twentv- 

five pounds weight — but so small in numbers that it will no doubt 

be recorded, ere long, as an extinct variety of game in the United 

States. 

More numerous by far, yet still a rare visitant in most sections of the 
country — except the lake and river regions and the ocean coast — is the 
Canada goose, or common wild goose, considered a prize bv all lovers of 
wild fowl shooting. The wild goose shooter, particularly in the West, 
usually ensconces himself snugly under concealment of a blind, and decoys 
(either live, domesticated-wild geese, or artificial figures) can be used to 
advantage in most sections. The brant, practically, may be regarded as a 
" small edition " of the wild goose. 

The several species of ducks sought by wild-fowl shooters, rank in 
about the following order. First, the highly- 
prized canvas-back, a delicacy by reason of the 
wild celerj' upon which it feeds in the Chesapeake 
Bay, of the south, and Lake Koshkonong, of the 
north ; then the red-head, closely resembling the 
canvas-back in size, appearance and habits ; next 



"3 





the mallard, the best known and most eagerly followed of inland wild 
ducks ; and finally, the beautiful crested wood-duck, the widgeon, the pin- 
tail or spring-tail, the gadwall or gray duck, the green-winged and blue- 
winged teal, the buffel-head, the scaup duck, etc. Amateur sportsmen 
wishing to learn how, and when and where to enjoy sport in this line 
should consult Mr. W. B. Leffingwell's book entitled "Wild Fowl Shoot- 
ing," a standard work on the subject. 



-«Zr!fc.' 



"^c 




I 



WILD TURKEY. 



'This wandering, shv, secluded bird, 

This roamer of the forest-ground, 
Thro' all the Western wilderness, 

In dense, embowering haunt is found.' 



As a distinct American grame bu-d of Iiigh 
quality, — closely lelated, through its ancestry, 
to the fine fowls "that the commissaries found" 
when the boys in blue were marching' through 
Georgia — the wild turkey is deserving of disting- 
uished consideration. The wild turkey is con- 
siderably larger than the domestic bird, and the 
adult male in his native haunts is one of the 
proudest and handsomest specimens of winged 
game to be found in the United States. 

In the early part of the present centur}-, 
when Daniel Boone was the pioneer hunter of 
the West, the habitat of the wild turkey extended 
northward into Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and the 
Northwestern states, but it is now found mainly 
in the South and Southwest. An expert caller, 
imitating the yelp of the wild turkey, can usually 
attract the war\- birds within easy rifle range. 
Dogs are sometimes used in hunting wild turkeys, 
and the sport when pursued in anj' proper style 
is very enjoyable. Col. James Gordon ("Pious 
Teems"), of Mississippi, an accomplished sports- 
man and writer, is the author of several instn;c- 
tive essays on this subject. 



"S 



PRAIRIE CHICKENS. 

" When August and September days 
Flush the broad prairies with their blaze, 
The young broods, now inatur'd, expand 
Their wings and flutter o'er the land." * 

One hundred years ago the pinnated grouse, or prairie 
chicken, as it is generally termed, was comparatively abund- i,; 

ant in the East, particularly on the brushy plains of Long i y,.-r', - 

Island, where it was known as the heath hen. Now, the hj'''m' V'^ 
prairie chicken is essentially a Western game bird, found in / ' " ' 

numbers only in the region bej'ond the Mississippi, the ' ':- 

species having been exterminated in the East. 

North and South Dakota cover probably the best region for prairie 
chicken shooting, and if the birds are properly protected during the close 
season, and non-export laws rigidly enforced, the land of the Dakotas'' 
will furnish excellent recreation in this line for future generations. With 
well-trained setters or pointers, ranging fast and free over the broad 
prairie lands, where every movement of the dogs and the ^vhirring flight 
of the birds can be carefully noted by the sportsman, pinnated grouse 
shooting stands well toward the front in the list of American field sports^ 

RUFFED GROUSE. 




" Where greenwood shadows shift and swim, 
As in cathedral arches dim. 
There the shy partridge loves to brood, 
Deep in the shelter of the wood." 

This woodland hermit — the pheasant of the East, and part- 
ridge of the West — is a sort of country cousin of the pinnated 
grouse, or prairie chicken. In its haunts and habits the ruffed 
grouse is almost the opposite of his prairie relative. He seeks 
the secluded thickets and dense woods, and will seldom lie to the 
point of a dog, though a barking cur or " partridge dog " will fre- 
quently tree him, and enable the gunner to shoot him from 
a limb — a proceeding not properly to be classed as sport. 
The ruffed grouse is swift of flight, and, when 
much jDursued, is difficult to approach. The sportsman 
who can kill a large percentage of his birds on the wing, 
in thick cover such as the ruffed grouse frequents, may 
certainly take rank as a crack shot, whether in the wild- 
woods of Wisconsin or among the moimtains of Maine. 



ii6 



n 



c 
c 




p^ 



THE QUAIL. 

" Sweet now at morn and eve the quail 
Repeats its plaintive, whistling note, 
And softiv fall the answering cries 
That over wood and corn-tield tloat." 

The common quail, diverselv kiidwn in 
various sections as Bob White, \'irginia part- 
ridge, and colin, is probablv the most widely 
distributed of upland game birds in the country. I 
Unlike most other species the quail dwells close -i , 
to the farmer's home, and the whistle of " Bob , 
White" is often heard around the barn and 
the stacks of grain, when the bevies are 
unmolested. 

Man\- keen sjjortsmen regard the ([uail 
as the best representative game bird of Amer- 
ica, and the various field trials — held annuallv 
to decide the merits of setters and pointers, in 
competition — are almost invariably conducted 
in localities where Bob White is the only 
game pursued to test the staimchness, nose, 
pace, style, and other working qualities of 
the dogs. The plumed quails of the Pacific 
coast — the valley quail and the mountain 
quail — are the most beautiful members of 
the happ3' family. 




THE WOODCOCK. 



"Where scarce the sun-spears, quivering bright, 
May pierce the foliage with their light, 
Ah! there so shadowy sleeps the wood 
Where hermit woodcock seek their food." 




A species of long bill that is honored on sight is the 
woodcock, boring in the moist meadows and dark forest 
grounds for his daily food, but never becoming a bore 
to the lover of field sports. In midsummer the first, the 
best, in fact the only game bird that may be legally killed 
is the woodcock. His flight from among the ferns or 
thickets is swift, almost npiseless, ancP J. Cypress, Jr., was 
correct in asserting that " to stop a woodcock in a thick 
brake, where vou can see him only with tiie eve of 
faith, * * requires an eye, and a hand, and a 

heart, which science cannot manufacture." 



119 



The Warwick \voodlands, of Orange count}', N. Y., were famous for 
woodcock shooting in years gone b\', but the birds are now scarce in most 
of the Eastern states, thougli a fair number may be bagged in a few locali- 
ties, and several Southern and Western resorts, particularly the Mississippi 
bottoms, still afford good sport in summer and autumn. 



THE SNIPE. 




" But rather seek the plashj swale, 
Low in the moist and boggy vale, 
Or pass, thro' bushy swamps that hide 
With briery hedge the brooklet side." 



From Maine to Mexico, and from Connecticut to California, the snipe 
is a semi-annual visitor, along the marsh-lands bordering on the lakes and 
rivers. Spring snipe-shooting is legal in many states, but this and summer 
woodcock shooting should be prohibited — not alone for the preservation of 
the two species, but to prevent the killing of other game birds, often mere 
fledglings, met with by the gunners in their rambles. 

The snipe, rising with a startled and startling " skaap," and taking a 
low, zigzag course across the marsh, is a difficult mark for the tyro, but the 
experienced shooter who is cool and deliberate will readilj' kill a large 
proportion of his birds in this line of sport. Snipe-shooting, in autumn, 
over good dogs, is well worthy of the sportsman's time and attention. 




275,000 



w 



if gifl^IT gtOTR 



LAST COLUMN 



VOL. VII —NO. 5. 



CHICAGO. ILL.. SATURDAY. JULY 14, 1894- 



PRICE 5 CENTS. 



Triggers Pulled by Chi-iOrdered by Various La- 



cago Militiamen. 



Two Us) K.lltd (DO UuiT Uoi 

inluml ID a* Pint R«*J Odb- 

Blei of tli> Slrlk*. 



bor Leaders. 



Tb* Pullmu OompuiT Pe«U>« 

BaruM* la ArUtrUa •ad Uw 

TlvDp I* Now Ob. 



Scridlers Attacked by a Danger- More Than a Million Men Wi 



-. \i - - Will B>Mi 




WILL FIGHT llQi MOT. 



Government's Military Bloody Work in the In- 



Forces in California. 



diana Suburb. 



UoB T>E>* P bu fmI ob OI lb* TOVB 
Vlbo HsT>&acund | Bvtr Sondar Harnlu uid 

Atlkcka Pulimac Cuk 



!Ta<k of Marlial Law Creates 
I Wildest Excitement. 



tc?*^p^ '^ ^ 






One Man Killed and Many 
Woumled by the RezuUrs. 






fi^il' 



"^^^^^Li 



;^4 



THF FIRST REAL CONFLICT OF THE PULLMAN BOYCOTT. 



',;'; " Troops and Rioters Come Together at Forty-Seventh Street in This City, 
Deadly Volleys Poured Into the Frenzied Mob With Fatal Results. , 
Several Killed and a Lonn List ot Woundea. 



TWO WOMEN 



: -;..": And One Man Kllledby Soldiers. ;,w.r"Vr"™.« 
at Wesl«ille. III. " ' """ ' *""" 



KMIOHTS JO^Vtr- 



^m 



FOES OF PEACE,. 



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^ 



S^r^'F'l^/ 







FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE IN A COLLIERY AT HAZLETON. PA. 

While the Sticks Are Being Distributed to the Miners in the Shaft the Explosion Takes Place, Blowing at Least Fifteen 
Men to Atoms--The Horrible Scene m the Pit When the Rescuers Entered 



IH[ OIH[R GIRL, 



SEEN OTIS : -:s?h5hS| DEATH IH Ml, 



HuOdI in it>( Brwil<Brl4i* 



r,ii,e>jTni. i;:;;^",;"^;;..",:. ".;.^^LJ_", i™;.i**" ^ D.i.jhirsi « Pr-nj liu; 



fltk lilt SM EuUf ri 



pladt IB > Cellitr} >i 
KulMon. Ft. 



■ ■■'. '1-^ 



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Chicago Tablet Remedy Co., Chicago. 

CIRCULAR DISTRIBUTORS.— )K^e«re pleased testate 
that our advertisement in your iVee/dics bring us in 
pliounnenid returns. 

V . S. Distributing Co., Chicago 

RAILROAD. — In August zve gave you our ad. for tliree 
times. P am hearing from it at this time, (Oct. 31, 
rSgs.) A. H. Hanson, G P. A., I. C. R.R., Chicago. 

TELEPHONE. — I'our Weeklies bring results, tir key our 
ad, and hnoiv -vhere the replies cojne from. 

Dixon & Co., Chicago. 

The Chicago Ledger 

PACKING HOUSE. -//V receive more replies fi em your 
Wee/dies than any mediu?ns tee used. 

ARMoiiR Packing Co., Kan.sas Citv, Mo. 

TYPE=WRITERS.— 3 'our papers are pullers. 

Nat. Typewriter Co., Boston, Mass. 

CARPET LOOMS My ad. in your Weeldies brought me 

more and better returns than any papers I used. Tlie 
results are astonishing. 

C. N. Newcomb, Davenport, la. 

WATCHES. — n'e must have results and that is iidiat ive 
get zvhen we use your papers. They pay us big. 

Queen City Watch Co., Chicago. 

nUSIC. — /" all my experience I never found any papers to 
equal Boyee's Big Weeklies. 

Henry J. Weh.-man, New York. 

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES.— ;r<' get more returns from 
vonr three papers than any tliree on our list. 

Wilcox Specific Co., Philadelphia. 

The Chicago World 



136 



>■. 




W. D. Boy ce 
Office 



Building 

112=114 

Dearborn Street 
Chicago 

JTJXnjTJTJTJXajTXlJXnnrLTUTJTJT. 



The] 

i dn 



I ERE are one hun- 
dred and eighty - six 
(186) outside rooms in 
this building. It is fin- 
ished in marble, mosaic, 
metal and mahogany, and 
is the most expensive 
building, per cubic foot, 
vet erected in Chicago. 

It is headquarters in 
Chicago for advertising 
agents, branch offices of 
out - of - town newspapers, 
special advertising agents 
and correspondents. The 
newspaper fraternity and 
l<indred businesses are 
largely gathered together 
here, and save time in 
transacting business with 
each other. 

The Chicago Newspaper 
Club occupy the entire 
fourth floor. 

The publishing and 
printing offices of the 
Blade, Ledger, and 
World — "Boyce's B ig 
Weeklies" — are not locat- 
ed here but at 1 13 - 1 1 7 
Fifth Avenue. 



(J. 



/ ■' / 



FeEBf; $28,228.76 Wr 



AGENTS' SPECIALTIES.— :!>«;- IVceHies (u-efayiiii;-iis. 
Monroe Eraser Co., LaCrosse, Wis. 

PUBLISHERS.— ro«r f lifers are pullers . 

Passumpsic Pub. Co., Passumpsic, Vt. 

CORRESPONDENCE CLUB.— 0«r test ioois sho-v ymir 
fapers at the top of the ladder. 

Claude Monroe, Clarksburg W. Va. 

OBESITY SPECIALIST.— /5o.)'re'.s- Weeklies pay all the 
year. Dr. O. W. F. Snyder, Chicago. 

ADVERTISING AGENCY.— /(> /«(/ Boyce's Weetdtes 
the best ineditans zve do Ifiisi'/ie.'is ivith. 

Kansas City Ad. Co., Kansas QXVy , Mo. 

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES. -^OT're'i Weeklies pay us 
better than anv papers ~\.'e use. 

W. H. Chidester & Son, New York. 



Average Circulation /5f ^ '^ /^ f 1 ^ Copies 
for the year ^t3tJf!^^FT/ Weekly 

PATENTS.— f'Ff are much pleased '.vith the results tve 
obtain from our ad. in your papers. 

Walton & Co., Washington, D. C. 

BOOKS. — We find we get better results and more good 

agents from your Weeklies than any medium vje use. 

Bee Pub Co., Chicago. 

ADVERTISING AGENCY f pay more money to Boyce's 

Weeklies than to any nczuspaper m the country. 

Stanley Day, New Market, N.J. 

BUGGIES. — We have used your papers many times. We 
find no better. Wilbur H. Murray, Cincinnati, O. 

MEDICINE. — We are in receipt daily of a vast number of 
orders from persons zvfio say tliey satv our ad. in the 
Blade, Ledger or World. I'ou Iiave the greatest of 
tlie great -weeklies. Murat Med. Co., Cincinnati, O. 

We contracted to /^ ^\ ^\ ^\ ^\ ^\ Copies 
prove 3wWfWWW Weekly 

We have exceeded ^ ^ f^ m-g /^ Copies 
our contract by ... . fj fjf ^ ^ ^-f- \/ Weekly 

Every year we have shown more circulation than we agreed to. That is a 
practice we have. Put BOYCE'S BIG WEEKLIES on the list. 



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